IPL to start on March 26, around 40% crowd to be allowed in Maharashtra stadiums
New Delhi, Feb 24: The 10-team Indian Premier League will start in Mumbai on March 26 and end on May 29 with around 40 percent crowd being allowed at the start of the tournament.
"The IPL will start on Saturday, March 26," IPL chairman Brijesh Patel told PTI after the governing council meeting on Thursday.
With two new teams Lucknow Supergiants and Gujarat Titans added to the roster, there will be 74 matches with 70 of them being played at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium along with Navi Mumbai's DY Patil ground and Gahunje Stadium in Pune.
As many as 20 games each will be held at Wankhede and DY Patil, while 15 each will be hosted at Brabourne and Gahunje Stadium.
"Spectators will be allowed as per guidelines set by the Maharashtra government and to start with, it will be 40 percent. If the COVID situation remains under control and cases decline, it might be full house at the business end," a source said.
There has been no decision with regards to play-offs but Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium is likely to host the final.
It is learnt that 55 matches will be played in Mumbai, while 15 will be played in Pune.
"Each team will play same number of games at each of the stadiums. Mumbai Indians will play four games at Wankhede Stadium. We are having as many as 12 double headers and it was decided that Saturday start (march 26) allows us to host a double header on Sunday," an IPL source added.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had earlier said that plan is to hold IPL in India and likewise BCCI were ready in earnest to host it in the country. The second option was South Africa ths time but it was a distant option.
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Prez, PM pay tributes to Vajpayee at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal'
New Delhi (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who attended a prayer ceremony at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Thursday to pay tributes to him on his 101st birth anniversary.
Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers J P Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, NDA ally JD-U leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, several other ministers, MPs, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and BJP working president Nitin Nabin were among those who attended the event.
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In a message, the prime minister said Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation. He said Vajpayee dedicated his entire life to good governance and nation-building.
"He will always be remembered as a brilliant orator as well as a spirited poet. Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation," PM Modi said.
Vajpayee was born on this day in Gwalior in 1924 and passed away in New Delhi on August 16, 2018. The government observes his birth anniversary as Good Governance Day.
The BJP marked the day by its leaders commemorating Vajpayee's legacy in nationwide events. Its chief ministers, Union ministers and MPs, besides organisational leaders, are part of these programmes held across the country.
Vajpayee, India's 13th prime minister, served the country for three terms between 1996 and 2004.
He is known for his valuable contribution to India's economic growth. The 'Operation Vijay', commonly known as the Kargil War, was fought against Pakistan and won during his tenure as prime minister. He made India a nuclear weapons power.
He had a distinguished four-decade parliamentary career, was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha.
Rising from humble beginnings in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) to the post of prime minister, he received the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 for his selfless dedication to the nation and was conferred with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2015.
Vajpayee championed democratic ideals, women's empowerment, and social equality.
As prime minister, he prioritised good governance and economic development, building national highways, rural roads, expanding telecom, and improving infrastructure.
