The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the rescheduling of two Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 matches -- swapping the dates of the Kolkata Knight Riders versus Rajasthan Royals and that between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals.
The fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), which was earlier scheduled to take place on April 17, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, will now be played a day prior on April 16. In contrast, the match between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Delhi Capitals, which was earlier scheduled on April 16 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, will now be played on April 17.
However, the BCCI did not give any reason for rescheduling the matches, but it could be due to lack of security forces as Ram Navami is on April 17 and general elections are starting from April 19. The BCCI also didn’t say anything about the match tickets which have already been sold for both the matches.
The BCCI had earlier released the IPL 2024 schedule for the first 21 matches as the dates for the upcoming general elections were not announced. The elections are now set to be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, while the counting of votes will happen on June 4.
Matches 21 to 50 of IPL 2024 will begin with defending champions CSK taking on two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an evening clash at Chennai on April 8. A highlight of this part of the schedule is CSK meeting Mumbai Indians in a highly-awaited clash at the Wankhede Stadium on April 14, coinciding with the Tamil New Year Day.
The picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala and the Barsapara Cricket Ground in Guwahati will also host two IPL matches of its home teams -- Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, respectively. The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host its first IPL game of this season when Delhi Capitals host 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 20. Delhi Capitals will host all their remaining five home games in the Capital after playing their first two home games in Visakhapatnam.
Matches getting rescheduled due to security issues is not unusual in India. For instance, to avoid conflict with Kali Puja, the CAB asked the BCCI to reschedule the England vs. Pakistan match from November 12 to November 11 during the ICC Men's ODI World Cup last year.
Nine games, including India against Pakistan, eventually had their dates or start times altered. The BCCI secretary stated at the time that this was because different boards had written to the BCCI regarding logistical problems. Additionally, the New Zealand vs. Pakistan match in Hyderabad was played behind closed doors because the Hyderabad Police expressed its inability to provide security due to Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city.
KKR, with two wins in two games, are currently in Visakhapatnam where they face Delhi Capitals on April 3. Rajasthan Royals with three wins in three matches are positioned on the top and will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 6 at Jaipur.
India off to winning start at Asian U-15 & U-17 Boxing C'ships in Jordan
India began its campaign at the Asian U-15 & U-17 Boxing Championships with two commanding wins on opening day as Hardik Dahiya (43kg) and Rudraksh Singh (46kg) started off with commanding wins in the preliminary round.
Sr Men’s Nationals: J & K, Chattisgarh in Division C; Chandigarh, Uttarakhand in Division B secure victories on day 4
Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh Hockey and Hockey Association of Bihar enjoyed victories in Division C while Hockey Chandigarh and Hockey Uttarakhand won in Division B on the fourth day of the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2025 in Jhansi.
Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning side gave birth to T20 cricket, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he believes Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning side with their aggressive and unique style of batting gave birth to T20 cricket.
IPL 2025: There is a trust factor of relying on each other, says Kohli on bond with Rohit
Talismanic batter Virat Kohli spoke about his bond with his long-time teammate and India skipper Rohit Sharma, saying that there’s always been a trust factor between them as they have relied on each other to do the job of winning matches for the team.
Rohit-Kohli to retain A+ BCCI contracts, Iyer to return but Kishan may remain out: Sources
Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all set to retain their A+ grade contract, which is worth Rs 7 crore in the BCCI's annual player contracts.
Champions Trophy: Spinners, Rohit and Rahul carry unbeaten India to third title win
India's spinners called the shots majorly to pick five wickets collectively on a sluggish pitch, while captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 76 and KL Rahul stayed calm to hit an unbeaten 34 to give the Men in Blue their third Champions Trophy triumph with a four-wicket win over New Zealand here on Sunday.
Champions Trophy: Kane Williamson to not field in India's chase after picking quad strain
New Zealand’s premier batter Kane Williamson will not be fielding in India's chase of 252 in the ongoing ICC 2025 Champions Trophy final after suffering a quad strain while batting in the first innings at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Champions Trophy: Spinners pick five wickets as India restrict New Zealand to 251/7
India’s spinners called the shots yet again on a slow pitch with just two degrees of turn as they restricted New Zealand to 251/7 in their 50 overs in the 2025 Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.