IPL-8 to start from April 8 , KKR and Mumbai Indians to clash in opening match

By Sanat Maharana

11 Feb, Mumbai

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will take on 2013 winners Mumbai Indians in a high-voltage opening clash of the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on April 8.
Sixty matches including the four play-offs will be played over 47 days in the cash-rich T20 tournament.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association’s International Stadium in Pune will host three home games of King’s XI Punjab, while the Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium at Visakhapatnam will host three home games of Sunrisers Hyderabad, according to the match schedule..
After a hiatus in 2014, the Shahid Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium at Raipur will again stage two home games of Delhi Daredevils.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals will continue to play their home games at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, in Motera, Ahmedabad, and another venue that will be confirmed shortly.
The final of the tournament will be in Kolkata on May 24.
“The top players from all over the world will be seen in action this year at the Pepsi IPL 2015. I am looking forward to some exciting contests in the middle. Over the next couple of weeks, the teams will strengthen their squads in preparedness for the 2015 edition of the Pepsi IPL. I am excited to join the fans to see a lot of exciting cricket over the next three months,” Ranjib Biswal, chairman, IPL Governing Council, said.
The IPL Players’ Auction will be held on February 16 with the teams getting one final opportunity to bolster their respective squads ahead of IPL 8.