The IPL final has been delayed by 30 minutes and will start at 8 PM and not 7:30 PM, Cricbuzz and Sportstar reported citing BCCI sources. The game will be held on May 29 at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera in Ahmedabad.
The winners of qualifier 1 and qualifier 2 will play the finale.
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The IPL final has been delayed because an additional feature line up – a cultural closing ceremony. The details of the event have not been revealed yet.
The ceremony will go on for 45 minutes, starting 6:30 PM and the toss will be held at 7:30 PM.
“The cultural programme is likely to continue for about 45 minutes and that’s why the toss will be at 7.30 pm and the match will start at 8 pm,” several officials in the BCCI confirmed the development to Sportstar.
“Since this is the final, the Board wanted to celebrate the 15th year of the tournament through a closing ceremony,” an official further added.
The news comes days after Cricbuzz had reported that the BCCI was preferring an 8 PM start for the final. It was the schedule the league followed for the first 10 years, from 2008-17.
“With Ahmedabad hosting the final, we will celebrate the 75th independence of the country, marking the journey of Indian cricket. A show will be displayed on the giant screen at the stadium,” BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had said earlier.
In the first decade of the IPL, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, opening and closing ceremonies involved several Bollywood stars. It was discontinued under the current Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), which is in charge for two years.
The playoff games will be held in Kolkata and Ahmedabad. The Eden Garden hosts Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on May 24 and 25. The Narendra Modi Stadium will hold the Qualifier 2 and final.
