Mumbai: The champions of Chennai Super Kings will kick off the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League against former winner Kolkata Knights Riders on Saturday when the Twenty20 Championship returns home with an expanded edition after adding two new teams.The entire 2020 edition of the cash-rich tournament and the second half of last year's tournament were held in the UAE as India battled the COVID-19 pandemic.Mumbai will host 55 matches at three stadiums in and around the city, while Pune, also located in the western state of Maharashtra, will host the remaining 15 matches in the league, meaning there will be no need for air travel for the ten franchises.With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the country during the 2022 edition, fans will be able to attend matches with a 25% occupancy limit.The IPL, which counts Bollywood stars and billionaires among its franchises and attracts the best cricketers from around the world, will receive a combined payment of $1.7 billion from Lucknow and Ahmedabad to participate in the world's largest cricket tournament. After that, it will be expanded to 10 teams.One of the most consistent teams since the tournament began in 2008, Chennai beat Kolkata to claim their fourth IPL title last year, and Saturday's season-opener will be a repeat of 2021 final.The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a statement, "The match will be a very important occasion as the 15th edition of the Indian Junior League will welcome the fans back to the stadium after a short break due to the epidemic."Kolkata will have a chance to take revenge on Saturday at Wankedi Stadium overlooking the Arabian Sea, as the two teams will have new leaders at this year's edition.India's former World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in a surprise announcement on Thursday, handed the reins of Chennai to Ravindra Jadeja, the five-time national team runner-up."Jadeja, who has been an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will be the third player to lead CSK," the team said. Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond.Kolkata will be led by Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer.Bangalore's royal challengers were also forced to change leadership and Pfaff du Plessis was appointed as their leader after the resignation of leading Indian batsman Virat Kohli.Rohit Sharma will take charge of the five-time title-winning India captain, as the team will play 11 of 14 league matches at three stadiums in their cities."It's a relatively new team, a lot of new people have joined in," Rohit told reporters. "70-80% of the team has never played in Mumbai before. So there is no added advantage."Read More -IPL 2022: Teams who best win percentage in IPL history
After winning their previous match, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face a formidable opponent in the form of Delhi Capitals (DC) in their next group stage match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. This match will take place on May 16 (Dr. Monday) at De Academy Wai Patel Sports, Mumbai. Not just PBKS, DC is entering the competition after winning their previous match and wanting to continue their championship-winning streak.While the PBKS beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 54 points in their previous match, DC defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by eight wickets and made sure to follow the final matches. Both PBKS and DC play some excellent cricket in corrections and like to perform consistently as the cycle comes to a close. It's a win-win match for both teams and the loss will more or less destroy their hopes of being in the top four.Match DetailsVenue: Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, MumbaiDate & Time: May 16, 7:30 PMPitch ReportThe DY Patil Sports Academy wicket website has something for batsmen and bowlers alike. The new ball moves a bit, but hitting becomes easier as the batters settle into the wicket. The captain who wins the toss will want to get into the field first considering the dew factor.Probable Playing XIs for PBKS vs DCPunjab KingsJonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mayank Agarwal (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Liam Livingstone, Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep SinghDelhi CapitalsDavid Warner, Srikar Bharat/Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Lalit Yadav, Rovman Powell, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Chetan Sakariya, Anrich NortjeToday IPL match predictions Probable Top PerformersProbably the best batter of the MatchJonny Bairstow:After suffering some poor performances, England's Jonny Bairstow returned to the level by scoring fifty minutes in a row. The right batsman has completely demolished RCB's bowling attack in the previous match and also wants to simulate his performance in the next match.Probably the best bowler of the MatchChetan Sakariya:Left-handed player Chetan Sakarya took two important stakes and ceded only 23 runs in his over-four stake against RR. The 24-year-old has the ability to create a huge swing with the new ball and will be looking to capture some crucial wickets for his team in the upcoming showdown.Result Today IPL match predictions: Delhi Capitals will win the matchAlso, Read - Who is the Baap of IPL?
