The fans could not get a more pulsating season opener as these two heavyweights of the IPL have been engaged in a fierce rivalry over the years and have clashed against each other in title clash of the league many times over the years. It is also for just the second time that the cash rich T20 league is being staged in the United Arab Emirates since 2014.
The thirteenth edition of the IPL will be a first of sorts as it will be for the first time that the league will be held without spectators in the stadium and behind closed doors amid the persistent threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All the matches will be played under a bio secure bubble with all team members required to strictly adhere to the social distancing norms during their training, lodging and through the course of the tournament.
ALSO READ | IPL 2020 Full Schedule Released! Check The Complete List Of Matches Here
So here is all you need to know about the teams, format, venues and match timings for thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League
Duration
The thirteenth edition of the IPL will be played out from September 19 to November 10. The opening match of the season will witness defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on last year's finalist Chennai Super Kings at Abu Dhabi on Sept 19 (today). The grand finale of the IPL 13 will be played on November 10.
Teams
The 13th edition of the IPL will have eight teams contesting against each other in a round robin format and the top four teams based on the points won during the league stage will qualify for the play-offs
The eight franchises which are competing in this edition of the IPL are Mumbai Indians (MI), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kings Eleven Punjab (KXIP), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) , Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) , Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC).
Venues
The 2020 edition of the IPL will be played across three venues in the United Arab Emirates, namely Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. In all 56 round robin matches will be contested between the eight teams.
A total of 24 matches will be held in Dubai, 20 in Abu Dhabi and 12 in Sharjah. The venues have been listed out below.
Dubai: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium
Sharjah: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Match Timings
The 2020 season of the IPL will witness most matches being held in the evening with a 7.30 PM IST start (6:00 pm UAE time). In season 13, only 10 contests would have afternoon start at 15.30 PM IST (14.00 UAE time) as the league will only have 10 doubleheaders.
Format
The 13th edition of the IPL will have eight teams contesting against each other in a round robin format and the top four teams based on the points won during the league stage will qualify for the play-offs
The top two teams would play each other in the first playoff match, the winner would qualify for the finals while the loser would get another chance to reach the title clash. They would play the winner of the eliminator, which will be played between the third and fourth teams in the points table, for a place in the final.