IPL 2022 final in Ahmedabad set to start at 8 PM
The final of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season will commence at 8 PM IST. The BCCI is set to host a cultural closing ceremony before the title clash which is set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 29 (Sunday). The closing ceremony will have multiple Bollywood personalities performing as well and the event will take place for 50 minutes.
According to reports in Cricbuzz, the closing ceremony will start at 6:30 PM IST and go on till 7:20 PM IST. The toss will then happen at 7:30 PM with play starting 30 minutes later. Interestingly, the opening ceremony didn’t take place this year and to organise the closing ceremony was also an afterthought, the decision taken at the Apex Council meeting.
This news comes on the back of reports stating that BCCI informed the interested parties on Wednesday (May 18) that their preference to start IPL matches from next year would be 8 PM IST. They used to follow the same timings in the first 10 years (2008-2017). But on Star Sports’ insistence, the time of matches was changed to 7:30 PM IST.
IPL 2022 playoffs to start from May 24
Meanwhile, the playoffs of the ongoing IPL season are set to commence on May 24. After staging the entire league stage in Mumbai and Pune across four venues, the caravan will move to Kolkata for the first qualifier and the Eliminator. The second qualifier and the final will take place in Ahmedabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, the two new entrants, have made it to the playoffs with the Hardik Pandya-led side also sealing their top spot in the points table. Rajasthan Royals are also more or less into the playoffs and even have a chance to make it to the top two if they win their final league game against Chennai Super Kings. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals are fighting it out for the fourth place with the latter side having its fate in its own hands.