Chennai And Mumbai To Open 2012 IPL

Reigning champions Chennai Super Kings will get the 2012 Indian Premier League underway when they take on the Mumbai Indians on 4th April at home. The full fixture list for the fifth season has been released and the competition returns to a home and away format following the expulsion of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Pune, who made their debut in the fourth season, will play their matches at their newly completed stadium in Pune while Dharamsala, Visakhapatnam and Cuttack will each host two matches. The league stage will run until 20th May before Bangalore and Chennai host the play-offs. Bangalore will host the ‘qualifier’ match between the top two teams from which the winner will progress to the final on 22nd May and the ‘eliminator’ match between the third and fourth-placed sides on 23rd May. The winner of the ‘eliminator’ will play the loser of the ‘qualifier’ game in Chennai on 25th May ahead of the final in Chennai on 27th May. A full list of fixtures is attached. Chennai also won the competition in 2010 while Deccan Chargers (2009) and Rajasthan Royals (2008) have also tasted success. Chennai and Mumbai met in the final of the 2010 competition.