IPL to begin in Chennai on April 9; six venues to host games with no home advantage
Team India head coach blames the governing body for shifting goalposts
The Indian Premier League 2021 will be launched with a star-studded clash between defending champion Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on April 9.
The 14th edition of IPL will be played across six venues (Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata) and go on till May 30 as per the schedule released on Sunday. While Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata will host 10 double round-robin matches each, Ahmedabad and Delhi will be home for eight league games apiece. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is scheduled to host the play-off matches and final, in addition to the allotted first-round games. As the entire tournament will take place across only six cities, the organiser has done away with home advantage. All league matches, 56 in total, will be hosted at neutral venues, with each team set to travel to four cities during the opening round.
As many as 11 double-headers are planned for IPL 2021, whose initial phase will be held behind closed doors due to the spread of the coronavirus in the country. While the afternoon games will have a 3:30 pm start, the evening fixtures will begin at 7:30 pm.
April 9-25 window for matches in Chennai:
The Chepauk Stadium in the city will host 10 matches between April 9 and 25, including a couple of afternoon contests. The 7:30 pm fixture between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals will be the last match of the season in Chennai.
CSK to begin campaign against DC:
With no home fixtures, Chennai Super Kings will travel to Mumbai (for 5 matches), Delhi (4), Bengaluru (3) and Kolkata (2) during its league assignment. MS Dhoni-led Super Kings will begin its campaign against DC at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10. In its final first-round game, CSK will come up against RCB at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 23.
Known for not mincing words, India head coach Ravi Shastri on Sunday criticised the ICC for changing the qualification criteria for the World Test Championship final, saying the world governing body needs to stop ‘shifting goalposts’.
India beat England 3-1 in the just concluded four-Test series to set up World Test Championship title date with New Zealand but the Indian coach wasn’t happy that midway through the tournament, global body changed the criteria from maximum points earned to maximum percentage points earned. “If you ask me about first cycle, please don’t shift the goalposts,” Shastri took a direct dig at the ICC when asked about what changes he would like when WTC is held during next cycle of events.
“I am sitting at home because of COVID-19 in the month of October with more points than any other team, 360 apparently (having won three series and lost one). A week later without knowing some rule comes that we are going to go (move) into the percentage system and we go (slip) from number one to three (in points table),” the coach said.
He continues, “Fine that’s because of countries not wanting to travel, countries that are in the red zone. All acceptable and fine.
“I want to understand the logic because now it’s like “What’s the way forward for me?” Sitting 60 to 70 points ahead, I am told, now you have to go to Australia and what you have to do? You have to beat Australia,” he had a lot of sting in his voice.
“Now how many teams in last 10 years have beaten Australia?”
“If you don’t beat Australia, you come back home and you have to then beat England 4-0 and get close to 500 points and you still don’t qualify? So, we have had to dig deep and go down every hole and we have earned our stripes to be in the biggest of them all the World Test Championship final,” the acclaimed commentator in him was out.