Two fixtures in the ongoing IPL 2024 have been rearranged, as stated by the BCCI on Tuesday. The rescheduling involves the Kolkata Knight Riders versus Rajasthan Royals match and the Gujarat Titans versus Delhi Capitals match, done with consideration for the Ram Navami celebrations.
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BCCI Reschedules IPL Matches Due to Festive and Security Concerns
“The fixture between Kolkata Knight Riders & Rajasthan Royals, which was earlier scheduled to take place on April 17, 2024 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata will now be played a day prior on April 16, 2024,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“The Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad was earlier scheduled to host the match between Gujarat Titans & Delhi Capitals on April 16, 2024. The fixture will now be played on April 17, 2024,” the board added in the statement.
The uncertainty is due to the Rama Navami festivities. This yearly celebration is fervently observed across the nation, and authorities are uncertain about ensuring sufficient security for the IPL game scheduled for that night. Adding to the complexity, the country is also amidst a general election simultaneously. Considering these factors, the BCCI has opted to potentially postpone the game.
It is known that the BCCI and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) are in communication with the Kolkata police. The BCCI has organized the schedule in two phases. Initially, it unveiled the program for the first 21 games, followed by the release of dates for the remaining 53 matches after the general election dates were announced. The BCCI has been diligent in preserving the home-away format and deliberately chose not to relocate the matches to the UAE to prevent conflicts with the election dates.
KKR, having secured two victories in as many games, is presently in Visakhapatnam, where they are set to confront Delhi Capitals on April 3rd. The league stage of IPL 2024 will persist until May 19th, with Eliminator 1 slated for May 21st and the Eliminator on May 22nd.
RR stands as the sole undefeated team of the season, having triumphed in their initial three matches. With six points to their credit, they currently lead the IPL 2024 points table. KKR secures the second position, while titleholders CSK trail in third place with four points.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians, five-time IPL champions, have suffered three consecutive defeats and are yet to secure a win. They currently find themselves at the bottom of the standings.
Eliminator 2 is scheduled for May 24th, followed by the final on May 26th.
Boos, Cheers, and Early Dismissals: A Turbulent Start for Mumbai Indians at Wankhede
MI fans expressed their dissatisfaction by booing their skipper, Hardik Pandya, during his first appearance as captain at the Wankhede Stadium. The crowd cheered for ‘Rohit Sharma’ instead at the toss, demonstrating their support for the former captain. The chants for Sharma were evident long before the match commenced, echoing from the fans queued outside the stadium.
The rivalry among fans has escalated since the change in MI’s captaincy, prompting R Ashwin to urge fans not to overreact to the leadership transition and to show respect to Pandya as a fellow Indian cricketer.
During the toss on Monday, Sanjay Manjrekar was surprised by the crowd’s reaction towards Hardik and implored them to ‘behave’. However, to the dismay of the Mumbai crowd, Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a first-ball duck, marking only the fifth instance in the IPL.
In addition to Rohit Sharma’s dismissal for a golden duck, Naman Dhir swiftly followed suit, also departing for a first-ball duck. Both were dismissed by Trent Boult, the former MI pacer. Shortly after, Dewald Brevis joined the unfortunate trend, also registering a first-ball duck. This occurrence marks only the sixth instance in IPL history when three of the top four batters have been dismissed for ducks in an innings, all off the first ball.
Highlighting the early threat posed by Boult, it’s worth noting that he has now claimed 25 wickets in the first over of an innings in the IPL since 2020 – a tally unmatched by any other bowler, with the closest being eight wickets.
