The playoffs for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season are slated to take place either in Kolkata or Lucknow, with the final scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad, sources in the BCCI confirmed on Tuesday (April 12). The dates for the playoffs are yet to be confirmed, but there is a high chance that the tournament, which is currently being played in Mumbai and Pune due to Covid-19 restrictions, might move out of these two cities for the playoffs.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final, while the iconic Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata, which has already seen many nail-biting matches both in the IPL and at the international level might have the playoff matches. Lucknow's new Ekana Cricket Stadium is also among the options for the qualifier 1, 2 and eliminator games.
As state governments begin relaxing Covid protocols across the country, the BCCI are looking at various options to host the playoff fixtures. A source within India's apex cricket council said that Ahmedabad has been selected as the venue for the final. For now, around 25 per cent of fans are allowed into the stadiums after the IPL announced the return of the league with fans' support after two seasons.
"Ahmedabad is the venue for the final which I can confirm, but the board is yet to take a call on the venue for the rest of the playoff matches. These may be held in either Lucknow or Kolkata. The BCCI will take the final call and an announcement can be expected soon," the source confirmed to Sports Tak on Tuesday (April 12).
The top five teams in the table are all on six points, with Rajasthan Royals (RR) currently at the summit with a better net run rate (+0.951) than Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who are second with a net run rate of +0.446. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) occupy the next three spots respectively.
Meanwhile, record IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI), who have five trophies in their cabinet, are second last, with four-time champions at the bottom of the table. Both teams have lost all four of their matches this season, making their push for a playoff spot even tougher.
On Monday evening (April 11), the Titans tasted their first defeat in the IPL after losing by eight wickets to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The win pushed SRH to four points in four matches, the same as Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), but with the worst net run rate (-0.501) of the lot after losses in their first two games.
