Cricket
Indian Premier League 2024: All You Need To Know
The Indian Premier League makes its long-awaited return on Friday 22nd March, spanning for a colossal two-month period as the BCCI announced plans to extend the tournament beyond its conventional duration time.
With format changes, rule tweaks and draft selections to update everyone on, below is your complete guide to the 2024 IPL season.
When is the 2024 IPL?
This year’s Indian Premier League season kicks off on Friday 22nd March and encompasses 74 matches across the newly-designed group stage and knockout rounds. The final will be held on Sunday 26th May.
Competition format and Rule change
Whereas last year’s IPL consisted of a round-robin league table with all 10 franchises, this year things will work a little differently. The tournament will unfold with teams divided into two groups (A and B).
Each team engages in two encounters with all five teams in the opposing group, facing them both at home and away. Additionally, each team plays once against all four teams within its own group. Throughout the tournament, every team participates in a total of seven home games and seven away games. Following the conclusion of the group stage, the top four teams, determined by their cumulative points, advance to the playoffs.
The playoff stage consists of two key matchups: “Qualifier 1” and “Eliminator.” In Qualifier 1, the top two teams from the group stage compete directly against each other. Simultaneously, the remaining two teams face off in the Eliminator match. The victor of Qualifier 1 secures a direct spot in the final match.
For the team that loses in Qualifier 1, there is still hope for redemption. They get another opportunity to qualify for the final by challenging the winner of the Eliminator match in a fixture known as Qualifier 2. The triumphant team in Qualifier 2 then advances to the grand final. Ultimately, the team emerging victorious in the final match is crowned the champions of the Indian Premier League.
One notable rule change for the season allows bowlers to deliver two bouncers per over – an increase from the conventional one that has been in place in white ball cricket for a number of years.
Defending Champions
The Chennai Super Kings are the current champions after Ravindra Jadeja’s 15* off six deliveries earned MS Dhoni’s men a dramatic last-ball victory over defending champions Gujurat Titans in the 2023 final to win their fifth title.
Gujurat Titans had previously topped the group stage table before being knocked out by second-placed Chennai in the first qualifier, though Gujurat proved to be too strong for Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier.
Current Favourites
The Mumbai Indians are the 9/2 favourites to win the 2024 IPL. After experiencing a shocker of a season two years ago – finishing bottom of the group stage table after winning the competition the year before – they vastly improved in last year’s edition to secure fourth place in the standings, though that is still an underachievement by their standards.
The biggest off-field drama came in the form of the Indians re-signing Hardik Pandya from the Gujurat Titans during the draft period, immediately elevating them to favouritism. Last year’s finalists Chennai and Gujurat follow in second and third at 5/1 each, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (15/2) likewise expected to contest.
