Reports: IPL 2020 final set to take place on May 24; no double-headers in the upcoming season

The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League is set to kickstart from March 29, with the defending champions Mumbai Indians set to commence their campaign at the Wankhede Stadium. And, now it has been confirmed that the grand finale of the cash-rich league will take place on May 24th. While the venue is yet to be confirmed, major changes have been announced for the next edition.

The sources in the know of development have confirmed that the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League will be played over a span of 57 days. Earlier, it was reported that the host broadcasters weren’t too keen on the IPL scheduling double-headers and the night game commencing at 08:00 pm. Because of the extended window, it means that double-headers are set to be a thing of the past, and the starting is almost certain to be 07:30 pm.

“While the full schedule isn’t ready yet, the final is set to be played on May 24 and with the tournament starting on March 29, you obviously get a longer window than say 45 days. So, there should be no issue in accommodating one game a day. In fact, it should be a walk in the park for those chalking out how matches will be played over 57 days,” the source said as quoted by the Times of India.

It is almost certain that IPL 2020 games will start at 07:30 pm

The fact that the night games finishes way into mid-night last season prompted a lot of discussions on the timing of the fixtures and the host broadcaster had requested the BCCI and the governing council to start the games at 07:00 pm. When asked about the timing, the source said that it is almost certain that the night matches will start at 07:30 pm, but it isn’t just about the broadcasters, it is also about how late the games finished last season.

“See, TRP is an issue for sure, but let us not just put it on that as you can for yourself go back and see how late the games finished last season. Even for those coming into the stadium, it was quite an issue going back home after the game. While it is being discussed, but looks like we may start at 7.30 p.m. this edition onwards,” the source pointed.

The source added, “If you are living in a metro, you do know the kind of traffic issues there is say in Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru. Do you seriously believe that it is possible for people to leave the office at around 6 p.m. and then come into the stadium with their families by the time the game gets underway? This is an area that needs to be taken into consideration before changing the timing of the game.”

No double-headers in IPL 2020

Another issue that has been well documented in the past is the lukewarm turnout in the day games of the IPL, especially on working days. The host broadcaster had asked for scrapping of the afternoon fixtures but the source believes that it is not just the broadcasters who have faced that issue.

“Do you believe that it is just the broadcasters who have a problem? Let us be real. Even franchises have a problem filling the stands for the afternoon games. So, it is best that we do away with the afternoon games and focus on one game a day,” the source explained.

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