Mumbai: With the IPL playoffs just days away, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced a reshuffle of venues to ensure the smooth completion of the tournament.
New Chandigarh’s New PCA Stadium and Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium have been designated as the key venues for the high-stakes playoff matches starting May 29.
The opening playoff fixture, Qualifier 1, will be played at New Chandigarh on May 29. The Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket stadium, will then host Qualifier 2 on June 1 and the grand Final on June 3.
In a related development, Match 65 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), originally scheduled in Bengaluru, has been shifted to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow due to adverse weather conditions.
Earlier, Hyderabad and Kolkata were set to host the final playoff matches before the tournament faced a one-week suspension. However, the IPL Governing Council revised the venues, taking into consideration weather conditions and other logistical challenges.
Additionally, from May 20 onwards, an extra hour will be added to the playing conditions for the remaining league-stage matches, in line with the adjustments already implemented during the playoffs.