IPL 10 to start from 5 April 2017
The tenth edition of the Indian Premier League will kick off from 5 April 2017; the finals will be played on 21 May. Both the matches will be played in Hyderabad. The IPL governing body announced the schedule and also said that they are not violating any directives given by the Lodha Panel or Supreme Court of India.
Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League is an Indian T20 cricket league which takes place annually. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) founded the IPL in 2007 and the first edition of the tournament was held in 2008. At present, eight teams participate in the IPL. Sunrisers Hyderabad are the champions of the 2016 edition which took place in April-May 2016.
IPL broadcast rights put on hold by BCCI
BCCI halted the issuance of media rights for the IPL as they were unable to get a go-ahead from the Justice RM Lodha committee. The BCCI was supposed to open tenders on 25 October 2016, but is awaiting approval from the committee. The committee asked the BCCI to comply with the Supreme Court order and issue a letter stating the same.
Only a week gap before and after IPL
IPL will take place just a week after India's bilateral series with Australia gets over. Incidentally, just 10 days after IPL finals are played, the Champions Trophy is scheduled to start in England.
Auctions to take place in February: Rajeev Shukla
The auction for the Indian Premier League 10 will be held in Bengaluru on 4 February 2017. IPL governing council chairman Rajeev Shukla said that the BCCI is also thinking of having a special function to celebrate the league's 10-year anniversary. He also said that exact schedule will be declared after the Lodha Panel gives its approval to go ahead with the tournament.
Steps to ensure Maharashtra hosts IPL matches
The IPL's governing body said that steps will be taken to make sure that all the venues in Maharashtra will be able to host IPL matches. During the 2016 edition, matches from Maharashtra were moved due to a severe drought that had hit the state.
