BCCI announces schedule and venue details for IPL 2023 playoffs
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced the venue and schedule details for the playoffs and the final of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League. Notably, Qualifier 1 and Eliminator, which are scheduled to take place on May 23 and May 24, respectively, will be hosted at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, while Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will be hosting the Qualifier 2 (May 26) and the all-important final on May 28th.
Notably, this is for the second consecutive time that the city of Ahmedabad will be hosting the big finale. In the 2022 edition of the competition, Gujarat Titans played the final against Rajasthan Royals, in which the home side won the game by seven wickets. In 2023, they will have the opportunity to repeat the feat by becoming the third team in the history of the competition to win the trophy in back-to-back years.
Notably, so far, the defending champions have won three of their five matches, and with that, they are fourth on the IPL Points Table. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, are leading the charts, while Lucknow Super Giants are second on the list. Delhi Capitals, who lost their first five matches, are currently at the bottom of the table with two points, while Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad have managed to win two games so far and courtesy of which they are in eighth and ninth, respectively.
Chennai Super Kings are meanwhile third on the points table, while Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings, with six points each are fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Notably, if Chennai manages to qualify for the playoffs, MS Dhoni may play his last professional game at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.