The more some things change, the more they stay the same. The Indian Premier League , was conceived as a cuttingedge tournament, something so audacious in scope that it had not been attempted in any seriousness till Lalit Modi came along. With the might of the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI ) behind him, and promises of multi-million dollar contracts, cricket’s Mary Shelley unleashed a summer Frankenstein on the world.In the years that the IPL has been in existence it has done many things. It has made millionaires of journeymen cricketers, it has given coaches a new stage to showcase their wares, it has allowed limited cricketers to earn massive paychecks in the auction and, it has held a mirror to the cricket world. In 2008, when the IPL began, there was an air of freshness, a complete newness to the tournament. Even the people involved in running the tournament had no idea how it might pan out.Cut to 2018, and there are some maddeningly repeatable things: MS Dhoni is back at Chennai Super Kings; Shane Warne is hugging the Rajasthan Royals; Gautam Gambhir is a Delhi Daredevil, captain, at that; Yuvraj Singh wears the pink and silver of Kings XI Punjab.This is exactly what the cricketing landscape was like in 2008. When the fresh season begins, there are many things that will be, and feel, different, and here are the most critical ones:There hasn’t been a single edition of the tournament when each team was captained by an Indian. 2018 came close, with Sunrisers Hyderabad losing David Warner to Sandpapergate. Bhuvneshwar Kumar might well have been given charge of the team, but Kane Williamson was the management’s choice. With the IPL being so much about workload management and recovery, perhaps the franchise believed that it was not a good idea to add the captaincy burden to their top medium-pacer.And not a penny less than Rs 7.2 crore for Archer. Not Jeffrey, but Jofra. At 23, this allrounder with a fluid action and bat-speed that is typical to his hometown of Barbados, is not eligible to play international cricket. Having chosen to qualify for England, turning his back on West Indies, Archer can showcase his talents in T20 leagues even before he is available for national selection. Archer, who was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals , and is sure to be central to their plans, described his IPL selection as a “lifechanging” moment.The debate over Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s future in Indian cricket has reached fever pitch, especially after Dinesh Karthik proved to be such a star finisher in the Nidahas Trophy tri-series in Sri Lanka. But, when Dhoni marched to the podium in army colours to receive his Padma Bhushan award, the sight of him in uniform, and his loyalty to the cause, was something else. Similarly, when the Chennai Super Kings take the field, the fact that they have their lion in yellow in harness means the world to their loyal fans.The Decision Review System has been in place in different series in cricket for a while now. Twenty20 cricket, which was designed for pace and ease of viewing, was exempt from these stoppages and delays in the game. Yet, the IPL, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to introduce this form of adjudication in the 2018 edition. How will this change things? Previously rain-interrupted late games would finish after midnight. Now we may have night-day matches instead of day-night.For the first time in the IPL’s history, teams will have an opportunity to re-think their theories and strategies in the middle of their campaign. The Governing Council has allowed a five-day transfer window in the middle of the tournament, where uncapped players who have featured in two or fewer games, to be picked up by other teams. This means that each team has a chance to boost its reserves, while players who were simply warming the bench get more chances of actually playing. That can only be a good thing.
IPL 2018
IPL 2018 - That Happened
Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Sat, 07 Apr, 2018, 06:02 PM
Welcome to Cricbuzz's running blog for everything that's IPL
The 2018 edition kicks off at the Wankhede Stadium, with MI taking on CSK
The baptism of Indian summers: Kaushik Rangarajan and Prakash Govindasreenivasan have brilliantly written about how it's taken IPL just a decade to reshape the months of April and May forever. Read it here. A Kolkatan might not agree with the mention of theatrical power outages in their city -- "cholbe na, cholbe na!" -- but hey, we'll conveniently ignore that bit. We have better things to worry about, like how Eden Garden's roof makeover is a necessary luxury. Or not.
While we wait for live action, Cricbuzz's commentary desk is already buzzing. The live coverage has started. And after you're done with reading what Raju Peethala and Pradeep have come up with, make sure you catch up on Harsha Bhogle, Zaheer Khan & Simon Doull discussing the team strategy for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings
"Alexa, enable Mumbai Indians" -- We're in the age of vocal chords. Mumbai Indians today announced a skill for Amazon's Echo voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant speaker, meaninf you can possbly just ask your assistant, Alexa, for score updates, latest news et al.
Hey Fantasy Cricket players, hola. We know it's a busy season for you, and that's why we have our expert Joy Bhattacharjya share 5 important tips that every fantasy user should follow.
That Dhoni speech below is an absolute testament to what CSK means to its players. You know what's coming your way from Wankhede, right? WAR. No, not talking about the opening ceremony, that should be rattling along soon enough.
Dhoni speaking at a franchise function:
" What's important is, to go through everything with a smile. [chokes up with emotions; pauses]. But what's next is what's important for us. We're back, we're back! "
Got to love DJ in yellow.
Credits: @ChennaiIPL © Cricbuzz
Tweet: The expression when you've got Rashid Khan in your side. By the way, have you seen Yusuf interview Rashid and Nabi?
Cricbuzz LIVE: You are all joining, right? So basically you can watch Harsha Bhogle and Co. speak as soon as we are done with the commentary buildup. How good is that?! And they say good times don't last.....
Do join us on #CricBuzzLive at 19.30 immediately after the toss. Fun cricket chat. Was yesterday's programme alright? What else would you like to see? — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 7, 2018
DRS drill: It's not just BCCI's stance that's changed with the arrival of DRS. You'll see.
The introduction of DRS in the IPL means that the umpires can no longer use the existing 'T' signal for strategic timeouts. They will instead point to their wrists in a manner that resembles the signal to indicate the start of the last hour in first-class matches #VIVOIPL — Arun Venugopal (@scarletrun) April 7, 2018
JUST IN: So with Rabada out of IPL 2018, Delhi Daredevils has called in Liam Plunkett as a replacement. What do you guys think about it? Bharath Ramaraj, our in-house expert, of course, has this to say:
"As he bowls that heavy ball, difficult to line up Plunkett. You need to be a brave man to just keep banging it in and use cross-seam in T20s. Liam doesn't have many variations but he is a brave man as he will hit the deck and angle it in consistently"
Fast bowling swag, now available in IPL too. © Getty
Wedding bells: So Finch and Maxwell won't be playing tomorrow. They win a different kind of Man of the Match award.
More wishes: Here's Mr. Sachin -- clad in all blue, which is a major hangover from his playing days -- wishing Mumbai Indians ahead of their encounter today
Special words from the MI Icon! ???? @sachin_rt's wishes will surely boost the team. ????#CricketMeriJaan pic.twitter.com/Ehk3GFMEi9 — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 7, 2018
Preity Zinta wishing KXIP .... (because speaking is too mainstream sometimes)
Trip down the memory lane
On this day in 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore fought tooth and nail in Hyderabad before the former prevailed in the One-over eliminator.
Initially, Royal Challengers' formidable batting line-up comprising Gayle, Dilshan, Kohli and co. was restricted to just 130 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs. Kohli top-scored with 46 while Henriques compiled a useful 44.
The Hyderabad franchise too struggled on a sluggish wicket. Hanuma Vihari led the way for them with an assured 44. It all came down to the final over with Sunrisers needing just seven for a victory. However, Vinay Kumar, who had already bowled a crucial last over versus Mumbai Indians to defend 10 runs, continued to impress.
The gritty pacer used slower ones and the occasional yorker, and gave away just six as the nail-biter went to a one-over eliminator. In the subsequent one-over eliminator, White landed a couple of sixes of a crestfallen Vinay, while Steyn was able to restrict the marauding duo of Gayle and Kohli to just 15 as Sunrisers clinched a thriller by five runs!
Build Up
With the 11th edition of the IPL about to kick-off, frenzied fans across the length and breadth of the country are buzzing with excitement. From offices, bus-stands, or while travelling in a tuk-tuk, cricket lovers have expert opinions on who will hoist the trophy. Fans fiercely argue and debate about team combinations and who should play.
On hot days of Indian summer, serpentine queues would be seen at stadiums, with cops having a tough time to control the crowd. Every year, IPL rekindles the sheer passion in cricket fans.
After what is expected to be a glitzy and glamorous opening ceremony, arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, will lock horns in the opening encounter of IPL 2018 at the furnace of the Wankhede stadium.
So are you ready for another blockbuster season of the IPL?
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The 11th edition of the 2018 Indian Premier League will start on Saturday with three-time champions Mumbai Indians taking on two-time winners Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. Before the start of the match, there will be a gala opening ceremony which will make the entry of the Indian Premier League into the new decade. Hrithik Roshan will be performing for the finale act of the opening ceremony at the IPL while Bollywood actors Varun Dhawan, Parineeti Chopra and Jacqueline Fernandez will also perform at the opening ceremony of IPL 2018. Get live streaming information of the IPL opening ceremony from Mumbai here (LIVE UPDATES)
When is IPL 2018 opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony of IPL 2018 is scheduled on Saturday, April 7, 2018.
Where is IPL 2018 Opening Ceremony?
The opening ceremony of IPL 2018 will be held at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
What time does IPL 2018 Opening Ceremony start?.
The opening ceremony of the IPL 2018 will begin at 6:15 pm IST on Saturday. The live coverage will start at 5:00 pm on Star Sports Network.
Which TV channels will broadcast IPL 2018 opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony of the IPL 2018 will be broadcast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 1 HD in English Commentary. Matches with Hindi commentary will be aired on Star Sports 1 Hindi and Star Sports 1 Hindi HD.
How do I watch online live streaming of IPL 2018 Opening Ceremony?
The opening ceremony of IPL 2018 live streaming will be available on Hotstar and Jio. You can also catch live action, live updates and live commentary (IPL 2018)
CRICKET's most exhilarating, dramatic and glamorous domestic competition is back with the 2018 Indian Premier League taking place in Asia.
English stars such as Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes join some of the world's best players for the two-month festival of T20 cricket across India.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Mumbai Indians are looking to defend the IPL title they won last year
Australia Cricket legend Steve Warne slams media criticism of Steve Smith ‘disgraceful’
Mumbai Indians won last year's edition with a dramatic one-run win over Rising Pune Supergiant and will be looking to defend their crown this season.
Here is the complete schedule and points table for the latest edition of the IPL.
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FIXTURES
(All times BST)
April 7 - Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, 3.30pm
April 8 - Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils, 11.30am
April 8 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30pm
April 9 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30pm
April 10 - Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30pm
April 11 - Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils, 3.30pm
April 12 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, 3.30pm
April 13 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, 3.30pm
April 14 - Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils, 11.30am
April 14 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30pm
April 15 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals, 11.30am
April 15 - Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, 3.30pm
April 16 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils, 3.30pm
April 17 - Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30pm
April 18 - Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30pm
April 19 - Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30pm
April 20 - Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30pm
April 21 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, 11.30am
April 21 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils, 3.30pm
April 22 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings, 11.30am
April 22 - Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, 3.30pm
April 23 - Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab, 3.30pm
April 24 - Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30pm
April 25 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 3.30pm
April 26 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab, 3.30pm
April 27 - Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30pm
April 28 - Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 3.30pm
April 29 - Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 11.30am
April 29 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30pm
April 30 - Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils, 3.30pm
May 1 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, 3.30pm
May 2 - Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30pm
May 3 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, 3.30pm
May 4 - Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, 3.30pm
May 5 - Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 11.30am
May 5 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Daredevils, 3.30pm
May 6 - Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 11.30am
May 6 - Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30pm
May 7 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30pm
May 8 - Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab, 3.30pm
May 9 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, 3.30pm
May 10 - Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30pm
May 11 - Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, 3.30pm
May 12 - Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 11.30am
May 12 - Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30pm
May 13 - Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 11.30am
May 13 - Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30pm
May 14 - Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30pm
May 15 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30pm
May 16 - Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, 3.30pm
May 17 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30pm
May 18 - Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings, 3.30pm
May 19 - Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 11.30am
May 19 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30pm
May 20 - Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians, 11.30am
May 20 - Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, 3.30pm
May 22 - Qualifier 1 (1st vs 2nd), 3.30pm
May 23 - Eliminator (3rd vs 4th), 3.30pm
May 25 - Qualifier 2 (Q1 loser vs Eliminator winner), 3.30pm
May 27 - Final, 3.30pm
