New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) The 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) will start on April 9 and its final will be held on May 30, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday. Mumbai Indians face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first match of the season which will be played in Chennai.

The matches will be played in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, the BCCI said. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final and the rest of the playoffs.

All matches will be played behind closed doors, with the BCCI saying that a call on allowing spectators will be taken at a later stage of the tournament.

Each team will play at four venues during the league stage. Out of the 56 league matches, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru will host 10 matches each while Ahmedabad and Delhi will host eight matches each.

The board said that matches have been designed in such a way that each team will travel only three times during the league stage.

"One of the highlights of this edition of the VIVO IPL will be the fact that all matches will be played at neutral venues, no team will play at their home venue. All teams will play at four out of six venues during the league stage," said the BCCI in its statement.

There will be a total of 11 double headers where six teams will play three afternoon matches and two teams will play two afternoon matches. The afternoon games are slated for a 3.30 p.m. IST start while the evening games will have a 7.30 p.m. start.

Full schedule:

April 9, Friday 7.30 PM, Chennai: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

April 10, Saturday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals

April 11, Sunday 7.30 PM Chennai: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders

April 12, Monday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings

April 13, Tuesday 7.30 PM Chennai: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians

April 14, Wednesday 7.30 PM Chennai: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

April 15, Thursday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals

April 16, Friday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings

April 17, Saturday 7.30 PM Chennai: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

April 18, Sunday 3.30 PM Chennai: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders

April 18, Sunday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings

April 19, Monday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals

April 20, Tuesday 7.30 PM Chennai: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians

April 21, Wednesday 3.30 PM Chennai: Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

April 21, Wednesday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings

April 22, Thursday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals

April 23, Friday 7.30 PM Chennai: Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians

April 24, Saturday 7.30 PM Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders

April 25, Sunday 3.30 PM Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

April 25, Sunday 7.30 PM Chennai: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals

April 26, Monday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders

April 27, Tuesday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

April 28, Wednesday 7.30 PM Delhi: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

April 29, Thursday 3.30 PM Delhi: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals

April 29, Thursday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders

April 30, Friday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

May 1, Saturday 7.30 PM Delhi: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings

May 2, Sunday 3.30 PM Delhi: Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

May 2, Sunday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Punjab Kings Vs Delhi Capitals

May 3, Monday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

May 4, Tuesday 7.30 PM Delhi: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians

May 5, Wednesday 7.30 PM Delhi: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings

May 6, Thursday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings

May 7, Friday 7.30 PM Delhi: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Chennai Super Kings

May 8, Saturday 3.30 PM Ahmedabad: Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Capitals

May 8, Saturday 7.30 PM Delhi: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians
May 9, Sunday 3.30 PM Bengaluru: Chennai Super Kings v Punjab Kings

May 9, Sunday 7.30 PM Kolkata: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad

May 10, Monday 7.30 PM Bengaluru: Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders

May 11, Tuesday 7.30 PM Kolkata: Delhi Capitals v Rajasthan Royals

May 12, Wednesday 7.30 PM Bengaluru: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders

May 13, Thursday 3.30 PM Bengaluru: Mumbai Indians v Punjab Kings

May 13, Thursday 7.30 PM Kolkata: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals

May 14, Friday 7.30 PM Kolkata: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Capitals

May 15, Saturday 7.30 PM Bengaluru: Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings

May 16, Sunday 3.30 PM Kolkata: Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore

May 16, Sunday 7.30 PM Bengaluru: Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians

May 17, Monday 3.30 PM Kolkata: Delhi Capitals v Sunrisers Hyderabad

May 18, Tuesday 3.30 PM Bengaluru: Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals

May 19, Wednesday 3.30 PM Bengaluru: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Punjab Kings

May 20, Thursday 3.30 PM Kolkata: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians

May 21, Friday 3.30 PM Bengaluru: Kolkata Knight Riders v Sunrisers Hyderabad

May 21, Friday 7.30 PM Kolkata: Delhi Capitals v Chennai Super Kings

May 22, Saturday 7.30 PM Bengaluru: Punjab Kings v Rajasthan Royals

May 23, Sunday 3.30 PM Kolkata: Mumbai Indians v Delhi Capitals

May 23, Sunday 7.30 PM Kolkata: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings

May 25, Tuesday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Qualifier 1

May 26, Wednesday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Eliminator

May 28, Friday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Qualifier 2

May 30, Sunday 7.30 PM Ahmedabad: Final

--IANS rkm/pgh