Where is it taking place?

The 2021 IPL will take place in India. The tournament returns home after being held in the UAE in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions.

Although the IPL is back in India, the 2021 edition will still look slightly different than normal.

Matches will be held at six different venues – Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Hyderabad has also been lined up as a back-up venue.

With not all home stadiums being used, no team is scheduled to play at their home venue. This is to avoid unfair home advantage.

When is it taking place?

The 2021 IPL is scheduled to take place from 9 April to 30 May.

The group stage finishes on 23 May, with the playoffs beginning on 25 May. The final is scheduled for 30 May in Ahmedabad.

Who is taking part?

There has been no change of teams since the 2020 tournament, with eight franchises set to take part: Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The only slight change to note is that Kings XI Punjab have changed their name to Punjab Kings from 2021 onwards.

How does it work?

The IPL begins with a round-robin league phase in which every team plays each other twice.

When the league stage is concluded, the top four teams enter the playoffs.

The first and second-placed sides meet in Qualifier 1, with the winner going straight to the final and the loser getting another chance in Qualifier 2.

The third and fourth-placed sides then face off in the Eliminator match. The loser of the Eliminator is out and the winner progresses to Qualifier 2.

The loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator then play in Qualifier 2 to determine the other finalist.

The two remaining sides then face off in the final, with the winner declared IPL champions.

For a more in-depth explanation on how the IPL works, read our full guide.

If you are looking for IPL betting tips, then check the Betway Insider throughout the tournament for daily predictions.

Will spectators be allowed?

The 2021 IPL will begin behind closed doors.

Depending how the situation develops over the course of the tournament, the BCCI may decide to allow spectators at a later stage.

Team-by-team guide:

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

IPL 13: 7th

Coach: Stephen Fleming

Captain: MS Dhoni

Star players: Ravi Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Sam Curran

Three-time winners Chennai are one of the powerhouses of IPL cricket, but endured a tough 2020 campaign as they finished seventh.

They have undergone a slight revamp since then, with IPL mainstays Kedar Jadhav, Piyush Chawla, Murali Vijay and Shane Watson all released.

DELHI CAPITALS

IPL 13: Runners-up

Coach: Ricky Ponting

Captain: Rishabh Pant

Star players: Kagiso Rabada, Steve Smith, Ravi Ashwin

Delhi had their best season yet in 2020 as they reached their first ever final in franchise history. Despite falling short against Mumbai, hopes will be high in the capital that they can go one better this time round.

The Capitals suffered a big blow ahead of the tournament after captain Shreyas Iyer suffered a season-ending injury while on international duty, but stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant is an exciting replacement.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

IPL 13: 5th

Coach: Brendon McCullum

Captain: Eoin Morgan

Star players: Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Shubman Gill

Kolkata were denied a place in the playoffs last year on net run rate, but will be confident of making it out of the group stage after an active offseason.

Eoin Morgan will get a full season as captain after taking over from Dinesh Karthik during the 2020 tournament, and the Knight Riders will hope he can translate his success as England skipper to the IPL.

MUMBAI INDIANS

IPL 13: Winners

Coach: Mahela Jayawardene

Captain: Rohit Sharma

Star players: Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Quinton de Kock 

Mumbai underlined their status as the greatest team in IPL history with their fifth title last year – all coming under Rohit Sharma.

They have lost all-time IPL wicket leader Lasith Malinga since then, but some shrewd acquisitions, including Kiwi duo Adam Milne and Jimmy Neesham, mean Mumbai are clear favourites to retain their crown in 2021.

PUNJAB KINGS

IPL 13: 6th

Coach: Anil Kumble

Captain: KL Rahul

Star players: Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Jhye Richardson

Punjab failed to reach the playoffs for an 11^th time in 13 seasons after another disappointing campaign last year.

The release of Glenn Maxwell and Sheldon Cottrell freed up some cash in the auction, with the signings of Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson and Shahrukh Khan whipping up some excitement ahead of the 2021 tournament.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS

IPL 13: 8th

Coach: Andrew McDonald

Captain: Sanju Samson

Star players: Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler

Inaugural IPL winners Rajasthan failed to live up to expectations last year as their star-studded squad slipped to a last-placed finish.

Their decision to release captain Steve Smith ahead of the auction generated plenty of headlines, as did their record-breaking splurge to sign Chris Morris for 14.25 crore.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE

IPL 13: 4th

Coach: Simon Katich

Captain: Virat Kohli

Star players: AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Yuzvendra Chahal

Bangalore had a positive 2020 tournament as they reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but once again lived up to their reputation as underachievers with a loss in the Eliminator.

Some big names were released in the offseason, including Aaron Finch, Moeen Ali and Dale Steyn, with the purchases of Glenn Maxwell and Kyle Jamieson adding some serious firepower to their lineup.

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD

IPL 13: 3rd

Coach: Trevor Bayliss

Captain: David Warner

Star players: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan

Sunrisers are one of the most consistent teams in the IPL, having made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons.

They are also the team that have made the fewest changes since the last tournament, releasing just five players and signing just three, including Kedar Jhadav and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. 

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