Organisers revealed the format and groups for the Indian Premier League 2024 season on Sunday, March 24. The two most successful IPL sides Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are set to face each other twice in league stages having been placed in different groups this season.
Chennai Super Kings kicked off their title defence with a dominating six-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home on Friday and fans will not witness both teams the same fixture in league stages this season.
Teams in the same group will play twice against each other and once with opposite group teams in IPL 2024. Only against one team from the opposite group, a team will play twice. The top four teams with the highest points will qualify for the playoffs. The top two teams will face in the first qualifier to earn a direct entry in the final while the third and fourth finishing teams will clash in the eliminator.
In the second qualifier, the winner of the eliminator will clash against the losing side from the first qualifier to decide the second finalists.
IPL 2024 Groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) |
| Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) |
| Delhi Capitals (DC) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) |
| Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Gujarat Titans (GT) |
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians are facing the 2022 winners Gujarat Titans in their opening game of the 2024 season at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. Rajasthan Royals recorded a brilliant 20-run win against Lucknow Super Giants in their first game to go top of the points table.
Shreyas Iyer's Kolkata Knight Riders also started their campaign with a thrilling last-ball win against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Punjab Kings chased down a 175-run target against Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals to kick off the 2024 season with two points.
