IPL 2022: Schedule, squads, venues, captains and all you need to know about the 15th edition of IPL

IPL 2022, the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League, is set to commence on 26th March 2022 in Mumbai with a blockbuster clash between defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

This edition of the IPL will see quite a few radical changes within teams and overall, the biggest talking point undoubtedly circling the duo of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, who will step onto the field as non-captains.

IPL 2022 will also play host to two new franchises entirely, with the Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants set to be led by a pair of best friends in Hardik Pandya (GT) and KL Rahul (LSG).

Mayank Agarwal is another man who will make his IPL captaincy debut as skipper of the Punjab Kings, while all eyes will be on how Rohit Sharma works around unfamiliar faces in the new-look Mumbai Indians - sans Jofra Archer - for IPL 2022.

And so, if you're looking for how your favourite IPL franchise is stacked up for this season, or the IPL 2022 Schedule, look no further than this explainer, which has all the answers to your questions.

IPL 2022 Schedule

The IPL 2022 season kicks off on 26th March at 7.30 PM and will feature the first double-header on Saturday, 27th March. The IPL final is scheduled for May 29th.

A total of 70 group stage matches will take place in the league stages, with the 10 IPL franchises divided into two groups.

List of IPL 2022 captains

Former RCB captain Kohli stepped out as the franchise's skipper midway through last season. Dhoni, meanwhile, has stepped down as captain since, with CSK announcing Ravindra Jadeja would take over from the former Indian skipper ahead of IPL 2022.

IPL 2022 will feature four first-time captains in Jadeja, Hardik, Mayank and South African star opener, Faf du Plessis.

CSK captain - Ravindra Jadeja

DC captain - Rishabh Pant

GT captain - Hardik Pandya

KKR captain - Shreyas Iyer

LSG captain - KL Rahul

MI captain - Rohit Sharma

PBKS captain - Mayank Agarwal

RR captain - Sanju Samson

RCB captain - Faf du Plessis

SRH captain - Kane Williamson

What are the groups for IPL 2022?

As per an explainer from the BCCI, the 10 IPL teams have been divided into two groups of five each, based on factors such as titles won by teams and their success in the tournament.

Teams in the same group will play each other twice, while teams on the same row will also feature in two matches against each other.

You can refer to Sportskeeda's IPL Groups explainer to understand more on how this process is set to work.

How will the teams qualify for the IPL 2022 playoffs?

Although the 10 teams have been split into two groups, the IPL points table system followed in previous seasons will remain. The top four teams with most points will eventually make the qualifiers and eliminators.

Qualifier 1 - Team 1 vs Team 2

Eliminator 1 - Team 3 vs Team 4

Eliminator 2 - Winner of Eliminator 1 vs Loser of Qualifier 1

Final - Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Eliminator 2

IPL 2022 teams and squads

Each of the 10 teams were required to finish with a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 25 players in the IPL 2022 squads at the end of the player auction that was conducted in Bengaluru back in February.

With the auction dynamics forcing a lot of personnel change within the teams, all 10 IPL franchises for this season will wear new looks, making the upcoming edition a very interesting one.

What are the IPL 2022 Venues?

The entirety of IPL 2022 will be held across Mumbai and Pune, with four stadiums slated to conduct the matches. At the time of writing this piece, 25% of crowd is allowed to enter the stadium and enjoy the IPL 2022 matches.

Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai) - 20 matches

DY Patil Stadium (Mumbai) - 20 matches

Brabourne Stadium (Mumbai) - 15 matches

MCA Stadium (Pune) - 15 matches

To learn more about the IPL venues and their capacity, click here!

How to book IPL 2022 tickets online?

Tickets for IPL 2022 matches are available and can be booked online for all four venues. The IPL tickets' prices range from ₹800-₹3000, and the details for how to book IPL tickets can be found in the link below.

IPL 2022 Tickets: How to book online and tickets price information

IPL matches start time

All evening matches will start at 7.30 PM IST.

On days of double headers, the first match will start at 3.30 PM and the second match will begin at 7.30 PM IST.

Where to watch IPL: Live stream and TV channel details

The live streaming of IPL 2022 matches will be available on Disney+Hotstar. Star Sports will telecast all the matches this season.

Stick around with Sportskeeda for the IPL live score, news and updates right here!