The Board of Control for Cricket in India has given a green signal for IPL 2022 playoffs to be played in front of full capacity crowds. Kolkata’s Eden Gardens and Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium are the two venues decided for the final stages of the marquee league.
Qualifier 1 and Eliminator 1 are set to be played at Eden Gardens on May 24 and 25. The newly renovated stadium in Ahmedabad will then host Qualifier 2 on May 27, followed by the all-important final on May 29.
This will be the first time Indian Premier League matches will be played in front of full capacity crowds since the pandemic began. The previous two seasons of the league were either played in front of empty stands or with limited capacity due to the threat of coronavirus.
In the ongoing season, which is being played at four venues in Maharashtra, 25% crowds were allowed in the early stages and later increased to 50%. Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai and MCA Stadium in Pune are the four venues currently used to keep the traveling limited.
“As far as the men’s IPL knockout stage matches are concerned, it would be held in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, with 100% attendance allowed for the matches to be played after the league stage finishes on May 22,”
the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said.
Both venues in Ahmedabad and Kolkata recently hosted limited overs series between India and West Indies earlier this year in February. The ODI series was played in Ahmedabad behind closed doors while the T20 leg was held in Kolkata at 75% crowd capacity.
The BCCI had an apex council meeting on Saturday, after which Ganguly also announced that the three-way Women’s T20 Challenge will be played between May 24 to 28 in Lucknow.
