The cricket board announced on Monday that the Indian Premier League (IPL) final is scheduled to take place on May 26 in Chennai, marking the culmination of the highly anticipated Twenty20 tournament. With the IPL commencing on March 22 in Chennai, the final showdown will occur just five days before the commencement of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, set to kick off on June 1.

Initially, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had released only the first two weeks of the IPL schedule due to clashes with India's extensive six-week-long general election. However, the full schedule has now been unveiled, revealing that Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium will host Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on May 21 and May 22, respectively, followed by Qualifier 2 on May 24.

The ultimate clash on May 26 will take place in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

India's marathon elections, beginning on April 19 with results anticipated on June 4, have necessitated adjustments in the IPL schedule to accommodate the electoral process.

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings kicked off their campaign with a victory at their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match.

To manage the tournament's overlap with the elections, several teams will have their home bases relocated to different venues. For instance, Punjab Kings, initially starting at the new stadium in Mullanpur, will conclude their home fixtures in the picturesque Himalayan town of Dharamshala, as per the BCCI's directives.

Similarly, Rajasthan Royals have chosen Guwahati as a second venue, hosting their final two home matches in the northeastern state of Assam.

Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals have decided to play all their remaining five home matches in front of their home crowd at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, after opting for Visakhapatnam as the venue for the first two home matches.

Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has evolved into the world's wealthiest cricket league, contributing billions to the Indian economy and the coffers of the BCCI.