KKR, MI to begin IPL-8

The IPL Governing Council has decided, in consultation with Kings XI Punjab, to host three of the franchisee’s home matches at Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) International Stadium, Pune.With this, the number of matches to be played at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium, KXIP’s original home venue, has been reduced to just four. Pune was added as a venue only on the insistence of KXIP owners. It is believed that KXIP, who have been struggling to fill up PCA stadium due to crowd indifference for quite some time, wanted to try out a new venue.

Defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders and former winner Mumbai Indians will kickstart the eighth season of Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens on April 8.
A total of 60 matches, including the four playoffs, will be played over a period of 47 days. Pune will host three home games of Kings XI Punjab, while Visakhapatnam will host three home games of Sunrisers Hyderabad. After a hiatus in 2014, the Shahid Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium at Raipur will once again stage two home games of Delhi Daredevils. Rajasthan Royals will play their home games in Ahmedabad, and another venue that will be confirmed shortly. The final will be played in Kolkata.
“Top players from all over the world will be seen in action this year. I am looking forward to some exciting contests in the middle.Over the next couple of weeks, the teams will strengthen their squads in preparedness for the 2015 edition of the Pepsi IPL. I am excited to join the fans to see a lot of exciting cricket over the next three months,“ Ranjib Biswal, Chairman, IPL Governing Council, said.