The IPL returns to India from 26 March but its league phase will be restricted to two cities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mumbai and Pune will host the 15th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament that began in India last year but midway moved out to the UAE.
“The IPL will kick off on 26 March,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel told the Indian media after a governing council meeting on Thursday. “We will also have crowds but as per the policy of the Maharashtra [western state of India] government.”
Ten teams, including two news franchises in the Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, will feature in 70 league matches across four venues with the league set to conclude on 29 May.
A limited number of seats will be available at the venues and IPL officials will then assess whether crowd limits can be increased towards the business end of the tournament.
The venues for the playoffs will also be decided later while a full schedule of the matches is expected to be made available in early March.
Rising Indian star Ishan Kishan fetched $2 million in the auction when five-time champions the Mumbai Indians bought back the wicketkeeper-batsman.
England’s Liam Livingstone was the most expensive foreign player at $1.52 million as the attacking batsman went to Punjab Kings.
The Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, were crowned champions for the fourth time last year in Dubai after they beat the Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.
The 2020 IPL was also held in the UAE due to the pandemic.
The league is a huge revenue earner for the wealthy BCCI and is estimated to generate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy.
© Agence France-Presse
