INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2020: Schedule, squads, TV channels and more

After a delay of almost six months, the 13th edition of the IPL is finally ready to begin. The Cricketer has all the important information you need ahead of the biggest franchise competition on the planet

What is it?

The cricketing colossus that is the Indian Premier League has grown since its introduction in 2008 to the largest and most-watched T20 franchise tournament. It's an unmissable part of the global cricketing calendar.

When does it start?

The latest edition of the competition gets underway on September 19 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Mumbai Indians.

Where is it?

Due to coronavirus, the competition will now be held in the UAE, with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah hosting the tournament from September 19 to November 10.

Likewise, no crowd will be in attendance at the 60 matches; 53 days of cricket will be held at three bio-secure venues across the UAE – Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This is the first time that IPL matches have been held outside of India since 2014.

Who are the teams?

Chennai Super Kings

Delhi Capitals

Kings XI Punjab

Kolkata Knight Riders

Mumbai Indians

Rajasthan Royals

Royals Challengers Bangalore

Sunrisers Hyderabad

What's the format?

First a group stage, which consists of a league format that sees each team face each other twice. Traditionally home and away - now both matches will be played on neutral grounds.

Based on final standings, the top four teams qualify for the playoff stage, consisting of three matches followed by a final.

Rather than a traditional semi-final knock-out stage, the IPL works its play-off stage slightly differently, with the focus on rewarding the sides who finish in the top two of the league table.

Qualifier 1: First takes on second from the group stage. The winner heads to the final, whilst the loser gets another chance in ‘Qualifier 2’.

Eliminator match: Third takes on fourth, with the winner heading for ‘Qualifier 2’ and the loser out of the competition.

Qualifier 2: The side defeated in Qualifier 1 meets the winners of the Eliminator match. The side that comes out victorious meets the winner of Qualifier 1 in the final.

^{Lasith Malinga clinched a thrilling title for Mumbai Indians in 2019}

Who are the favourites?

Arguably, the 13th edition of the tournament is the most open for some time; slower and lower-scoring pitches in the UAE means many franchises need to rethink their strategies, with home advantage lost. The bookies have Mumbai Indians as favourites and Rajasthan Royals as outsiders.

Which big names are involved?

Or rather, who isn’t? The IPL attracts the best players from across the globe; each team is littered with stars.

For CSK, MS Dhoni, who recently retired from international cricket, will be joined by the likes of Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo.

Meanwhile, RCB are led by Virat Kohli and AB de Villers; Mumbai Indians’ have Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma and Kings XI Punjab have Chris Gayle, with Steve Smith at Rajasthan Royals and Andre Russell playing at KKR.

The Afghanistan spinning duo of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan supplement a stocked batting line-up for Sunrisers, with an opening stand of Jonny Bairstow and David Warner.

Interestingly, a host of English players will be involved in the IPL. Rajasthan Royals have the world-cup winning quartet of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Tom Curran in their ranks, though Stokes remains a doubt

Elsewhere, Sam Curran will play at CSK, Moeen Ali at RCB, Chris Jordan at KXIP and Tom Banton, alongside white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan, will play at KKR.

How can I follow it?

In the UK, Sky Sports will show every game of the 2020 Indian Premier League. The BBC has radio rights and will broadcast ball-by-ball coverage of BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. 

Fans in the UK and US can also watch through a Hotstar subscription, as matches will be available in these two countries via their digital platform. 

Elsewhere in the US, you can watch through Willow TV (subscription required).

For fans in India, all the action will be broadcast through Star Sports - this is also the same for the rest of the sub-continent (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bhutan), while SuperSport will provide live coverage in South Africa.

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