New Delhi: While the plan to have 7 PM starts on the day of double headers could not go ahead, the Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Rajeev Shukla on Wednesday said that IPL 2018 playoffs and finals will start at 7 PM.
Earlier, there were suggestions from IPL broadcasters to have 7 PM starts. However, the IPL team shot down the idea. But Shukla said that the decision to have an early start is taken keeping in mind the fans, who come to the stadiums to watch the game, and watch the games at home. The 8 PM start means a late finish and it becomes tedious for office-goers or students who have their set of schedules to follow the next day.
“The IPL is what it is because of its fans and the tournament has over the years been followed avidly both on the ground and on television at homes. So, keeping the interest of the fans in mind, it was decided that the play-off games and the final will start an hour earlier. So, instead of the 8pm start, the games will start at 7pm,” Shukla was quoted as saying by News18.
“It gets difficult not only for those at the stadium, but also for those watching on television as students and office-goers also need to get back to their respective stuff next morning and it helps if the game starts an hour earlier,” he added.
The first playoff encounter – Qualifier 1 – will be played on May 22 at the Wankhede Stadium and then the action shifts to the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata for Eliminator (on May 23) and Qualifier 2 (on May 25), with Mumbai hosting the grand finale on May 27.
