IPL 2018 fixtures announced - Chennai Super Kings face Mumbai Indians in opener on April 7

The 11th edition the IPL will be played at nine venues across 51 days. Of the 60 matches, 12 will start at 1600 IST while the remaining 48 will begin 2000 IST. The final will be played in Mumbai on May 27.

File photo of the Chennai Super Kings team captained by MS Dhoni (PTI)

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians will start the defence of their Indian Premier League (IPL) title against two-time winners Chennai Super Kings on April 7 as the organisers announced fixtures for the 2018 season that will culminate with the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 27. 

The 11th edition of the cash-rich T20 league will be played at nine venues across 51 days. The eliminator and qualifier 2 have not been assigned a particular venue yet but the qualifier 1 and the final will be played at the Wankhede Stadium.

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The 11th edition of the world's most popular and competitive T20 tournament will be played at nine venues across 51 days.

Full schedule here - https://t.co/yqVFDc9tTF #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/qNKraLChA7

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 14, 2018

The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur will host home games of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, respectively, as the two franchises make a return to the league after serving two-year suspension in a corruption case. 

Kings XI Punjab will share Indore and Mohali as their home venues, playing three and four matches respectively at the two venues.

Of the 60 matches, 12 will have 1600 IST start while the remaining 48 will begin 2000 IST.

The IPL governing council had last month accepted the broadcaster Star Sports' request to shift the timings of the matches. The broadcaster had recommended that the second match of the day start at 1900 IST, while pushing the first match of the day to 1730 IST.

However, a section of franchises who are 50 percent stakeholders in the IPL revenue model, expressed their grievances with the change in timings as it was done without consulting them.

(Inputs from PTI and BCCI press release)