IPL 2018 match schedule OUT! Mumbai Indians to play Chennai Super Kings in opening match

Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday released the match schedule for the eleventh edition of the league, with all face-offs and venues where the matches will be played. The first match will be played on April 7 and the final on May 27.

The 2018 IPL is all set to start with a bang as the first opening match, which will be played in Wankhede Stadium Mumbai, will be played between defending champions Mumbai Indians and MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings.

The venue for all the matches have been listed, but those for the eliminator and qualifier 2 have not been confirmed yet.

The timings for the matches have not been changed, despite the earlier reports. The afternoon matches will start from 4 pm, while the evening matches will start from 8 pm. A total of 12 afternoon matches and 48 evening matches will be played.

The opening ceremony of the IPL 2018 is all set to start on April 6 in the Wankhede stadium, Mumbai with the first match being played there only. The closing ceremony for the IPL 2018 will be on May 27 at the same venue.

The IPL governing board had last month accepted the broadcaster, Star Sports’, request to shift the evening match timing to 7 pm instead of 8 pm, along with pushing the afternoon match schedule to 5:30 pm from 4 pm.

However, a section of the franchise who are 50 per cent stakeholders in the IPL revenue model refused a change in the schedule timings.

IPL 2018 will also mark the return of the top two teams in the league, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, after their two-year ban from the league on grounds of betting in the matches.

Apart from the eight home cities of the respective franchises, Indore will host three matches of Kings XI Punjab. The city was host to KXIP’s matches in 2017 too.

This year’s auctions, too, have seen a huge change. Ben Stokes emerged as the costliest player (Rs 12.5 crore) and Jayadev Unadkat was the costliest Indian player (Rs 11.5 crore).

Gautam Gambhir, who was with the Kolkata Knight Riders, now has been brought by the Delhi Daredevils. Gambhir’s departure has left a void for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned team as he was the captain. Now, Andre Russell, Robin Uthappa, and Dinesh Karthik are the new choices for captaincy.

Here is the complete IPL 2018 match schedule with venues: 

Saturday 7th April 2018- Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings; Match 1, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Sunday 8th April 2018- Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab; Match 2, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Second match- Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore; Match 3, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Monday 9th April 2018- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals; Match 4, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Tuesday 10th April 2018- Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders; Match 5, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Wednesday 11th April 2018- Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils; Match 6, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Thursday 12th April 2018- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Mumbai Indians; Match 7, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Friday 13th April 2018- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab; Match 8, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Saturday 14th April 2018- Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils; Match 9, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Second match- Kolkata Knight Riders v Sunrisers Hyderabad; Match 10, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Sunday 15th April 2018- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Rajasthan Royals; Match 11, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Second match- Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings; Match 12, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

Monday 16th April 2018- Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils; Match 13, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Tuesday 17th April 2018- Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore; Match 14, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Wednesday 18th April 2018- Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders; Match 15, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Thursday 19th April 2018- Kings XI Punjab v Sunrisers Hyderabad; Match 16, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

Friday 20th April 2018- Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals; Match 17, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Saturday 21st April 2018- Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab; Match 18, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Second match- Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore; Match 19, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Sunday 22nd April 2018- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Chennai Super Kings; Match 20, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Second match- Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians- Match 21, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Monday 23rd April 2018- Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils; Match 22, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

Tuesday 24th April 2018- Mumbai Indians v Sunrisers Hyderabad; Match 23, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Wednesday 25th April 2018- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings; Match 24, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Thursday 26th April 2018- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kings XI Punjab; Match 25, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Friday 27th April 2018- Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders; Match 26, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Saturday 28th April 2018- Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians; Match 27, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Sunday 29th April 2018- Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad; Match 28, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Second match- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders; Match 29, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Monday 30th April 2018- Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils; Match 30, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Tuesday 1st May 2018- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians; Match 31, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Wednesday 2nd May 2018- Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals; Match 32, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Thursday 3rd May 2018- Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings; Match 33, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Friday 4th May 2018- Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians; Match 34, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

Saturday 5th May 2018- Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore; Match 35, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Second match- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Daredevils; Match 36, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Sunday 6th May 2018- Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders; Match 37, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Second match- Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals; Match 38, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

Monday 7th May 2018- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bangalore; Match 39, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Tuesday 8th May 2018- Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab; Match 40, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Wednesday 9th May 2018- Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians; Match 41, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Thursday 10th May 2018- Delhi Daredevils v Sunrisers Hyderabad; Match 42, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Friday 11th May 2018- Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings; Match 43, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Saturday 12th May 2018- Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders; Match 44, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

Second match- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils; Match 45, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Sunday 13th May 2018- Chennai Super Kings v Sunrisers Hyderabad; Match 46, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Second match- Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals; Match 47, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Monday 14th May 2018- Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Bangalore; Match 48, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

Tuesday 15th May 2018- Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals; Match 49, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Wednesday 16th May 2018- Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab; Match 50, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Thursday 17th May 2018- Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad; Match 51, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Friday 18th May 2018- Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings; Match 52, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Saturday 19th May 2018- Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore; Match 53, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Second match- Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders; Match 54, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

Sunday 20th May 2018- Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians; Match 55, 16:00 IST (10:30 GMT), Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi

Second match- Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab; Match 56, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Tuesday 22nd May 2018- TBC v TBC; Qualifier 1, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Wednesday 23rd May 2018- TBC v TBC; Eliminator, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), TBC, TBC

Friday 25th May 2018- TBC v TBC; Qualifier 2, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), TBC, TBC

Sunday 27th May 2018- TBC v TBC; Final, 20:00 IST (14:30 GMT), Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai