Mumbai, 6/3: The Chennai Super Kings franchise will launch its Indian Premier League title defence on March 26 with the first match of the world’s most valuable cricket tournament, the country’s cricket board said Sunday.
Led by former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kings will play last year’s runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders, who they defeated in Dubai for their fourth title in 14 seasons.
Ten teams, including new franchises Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, will feature in 70 league matches and four playoffs in 65 days before the final on May 29.
The lucrative competition returns home — to the western Indian cities of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune — after its last two editions were disrupted because of the coronavirus pandemic and moved to the United Arab Emirates