Dhoni vs Rohit to kickstart IPL’s UAE leg from September 19

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Thirty-one matches will be played across 27 days with Dubai hosting the final on October 15

Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians vs MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings: here we go again  BCCI/IPL

The remainder of IPL 2021 in the UAE will resume in Dubai on September 19 with MS Dhoni‘s Chennai Super Kings taking on Rohit Sharma‘s Mumbai Indians. The fixtures were unveiled on Sunday, with a total of 31 matches spread across 27 days. Click here to access the full schedule

The Super Kings will return to these same shores where they finished second from last on the points table in IPL 2020. However, they have bounced back this season to be placed second, with five wins in seven matches.

That opening fixture of the second leg will be followed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi. Like the Super Kings, the Royal Challengers are in contention for the playoffs, and are currently placed third. The Knight Riders, meanwhile, need a succession of wins to remain in the race.

The matches will be held across three venues. Dubai will host 13 games, including Qualifier 1 (October 10) and the final on October 15, while Sharjah, which will host a blockbuster first game between Super Kings and Royal Challengers on September 24, is also slated to host Qualifier 2 (October 11) and the Eliminator (October 13) as part of their 10 matches. The Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi will host eight matches.

There will be seven double-headers in all during the UAE leg. There will be no change in the timings of the matches: afternoon matches will start at 3.30pm IST while the evening games are scheduled for 7.30pm starts.

The BCCI’s top brass – president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah – were in the UAE last week to finalise preparations for the tournament.

The IPL was postponed in May after members from a number of teams tested positive for Covid-19 amid a devastating second wave that hit India.

The tournament will be followed by the BCCI’s hosting of the T20 World Cup immediately in UAE from October 17.

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