The 16th season of the Indian Premier League is about to get underway, with some of the world's best Twenty20 cricketers participating.
It will run from March 31-May 28, with 10 teams competing to be the champion.
The Sporting News explains the format of the IPL and how it will work in 2023.
MORE: Latest betting odds for IPL 2023
What is the format of IPL 2023?
Ten teams will compete in IPL 2023 with teams split up into two groups of five.
Each team will play 14 group games, facing each team their group one and playing home and away matches against the teams in the other group.
The four top-ranked teams overall will qualify for the playoffs, irrespective of which groups they are in.
Which are the two groups in IPL 2023?
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Rajasthan Royals | Gujarat Titans |
| Delhi Capitals | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Punjab Kings |
MORE: IPL 2023 full list of teams, squads and players
IPL 2023 full group schedule
| Dates | Home Team | Away Team | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31/3/2023 | Gujarat Titans | Chennai Super Kings | Ahmedabad | 7:30pm |
| 1/4/2023 | Punjab | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mohali | 3:30pm |
| 1/4/2023 | Lucknow Super Giants | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow | 7:30pm |
| 2/4/2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajasthan Royals | Hyderabad | 3:30pm |
| 2/4/2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Mumbai Indians | Bengaluru | 7:30pm |
| 3/4/2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Lucknow Super Giants | Chennai | 7:30pm |
| 4/4/2023 | Delhi Capitals | Gujarat Titans | Delhi | 7:30pm |
| 5/4/2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Punjab Kings | Guwahati | 7:30pm |
| 6/4/2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kolkata | 7:30pm |
| 7/4/2023 | Lucknow Super Giants | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow | 7:30pm |
| 8/4/2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Delhi Capitals | Guwahati | 3:30pm |
| 8/4/2023 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai | 7:30pm |
| 9/4/2023 | Gujarat Titans | Kolkata Knight Riders | Ahmedabad | 3:30pm |
| 9/4/2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Punjab Kings | Hyderabad | 7:30pm |
| 10/4/2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Lucknow Super Giants | Benhaluru | 7:30pm |
| 11/4/2023 | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians | Delhi | 7:30pm |
| 12/4/2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai | 7:30pm |
| 13/4/2023 | Punjab Kings | Gujarat Titans | Mohali | 7:30pm |
| 14/4/2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata | 7:30pm |
| 15/4/2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Delhi Capitals | Bengaluru | 3:30pm |
| 15/4/2023 | Lucknow Super Giants | Punjab Kings | Lucknow | 7:30pm |
| 16/4/2023 | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbain | 3:30pm |
| 16/4/2023 | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Gujarat | 7:30pm |
| 17/4/2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru | 7:30pm |
| 18/4/2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mumbai Indians | Hyderabad | 7:30pm |
| 19/4/2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Lucknow Super Giants | Jaipur | 7:30pm |
| 20/4/2023 | Punjab Kings | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Mohali | 3:30pm |
| 20/4/2023 | Delhi Capitals | Kolkata Knight Riders | Delhi | 7:30pm |
| 21/4/2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Chennai | 7:30pm |
| 22/4/2023 | Lucknow Super Giants | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow | 3:30pm |
| 22/4/2023 | Mumbai Indians | Punjab Kings | Mumbai | 7:30pm |
| 23/4/2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Rajasthan Royals | Bengaluru | 3:30pm |
| 23/4/2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata | 7:30pm |
| 24/4/2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Delhi Capitals | Hyderabad | 7:30pm |
| 25/4/2023 | Gujarat Titans | Mumbai Indians | Ahmedabad | 7:30pm |
| 26/4/2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kolkata Knight Riders | Bengaluru | 7:30pm |
| 27/4/2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | Jaipur | 7:30pm |
| 28/4/2023 | Punjab Kings | Lucknow Super Giants | Mohali | 7:30pm |
| 29/4/2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Gujarat Titans | Kolkata | 3:30pm |
| 29/4/2023 | Delhi Capitals | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Delhi | 7:30pm |
| 30/4/2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Punjab Kings | Chennai | 3:30pm |
| 30/4/2023 | Mumbai Indians | Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai | 7:30pm |
| 1/5/2023 | Lucknow Super Giants | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Lucknow | 7:30pm |
| 2/5/2023 | Gujarat Titans | Delhi Capitals | Ahmedabad | 7:30pm |
| 3/5/2023 | Punjab Kings | Mumbai Indians | Mohali | 7:30pm |
| 4/5/2023 | Lucknow Super Giants | Chennai Super Kings | Lucknow | 3:30pm |
| 4/5/2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata Knight Riders | Hyderabad | 7:30pm |
| 5/5/2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Gujarat Titans | Jaipur | 7:30pm |
| 6/5/2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians | Chennai | 3:30pm |
| 6/5/2023 | Delhi Capitals | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Delhi | 7:30pm |
| 7/5/2023 | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow Super Giants | Ahmedabad | 3:30pm |
| 7/5/2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Jaipur | 7:30pm |
| 8/5/2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Punjab Kings | Kolkata | 7:30pm |
| 9/5/2023 | Mumbai Indians | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Mumbai | 7:30pm |
| 10/5/2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Capitals | Chennai | 7:30pm |
| 11/5/2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Rajasthan Royals | Kolkata | 7:30pm |
| 12/5/2023 | Mumbai Indians | Gujarat Titans | Mumbai | 7:30pm |
| 13/5/2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad | 3:30pm |
| 13/5/2023 | Delhi Capitals | Punjab Kings | Delhi | 7:30pm |
| 14/5/2023 | Rajasthan Royals | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Jaipur | 3:30pm |
| 14/5/2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai | 7:30pm |
| 15/5/2023 | Gujarat Titans | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Ahmedabad | 7:30pm |
| 16/5/2023 | Lucknow Super Giants | Mumbai Indians | Lucknow | 7:30pm |
| 17/5/2023 | Punjab Kings | Delhi Capitals | Dharamshala | 7:30pm |
| 18/5/2023 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Hyderabad | 7:30pm |
| 19/5/2023 | Punjab Kings | Rajasthan Royals | Dharamshala | 7:30pm |
| 20/5/2023 | Delhi Capitals | Chennai Super Kings | Delhi | 3:30pm |
| 20/5/2023 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata | 7:30pm |
| 21/5/2023 | Mumbai Indians | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mumbai | 3:30pm |
| 21/5/2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Gujarat Titans | Bengaluru | 7:30pm |
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How the playoffs work at IPL 2023
The IPL will stick to its established formula of a four-match playoff round.
In the first phase, the top two teams will play each other in Qualifier 1, with the winner progressing directly to the final.
In the Eliminator the third and fourth-placed teams face off, with the loser knocked out and the winner progressing to play the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2.
Qualifier 2 is effectively a semifinals, with the winner progressing to play the winner of Qualifier 1 in the Final. This means the Final can be a rematch of Qualifier 1.
IPL 2023 playoff schedule
| Dates | Home Team | Away Team | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBC | 1st place team | 2nd place team | Neutral | 7:30pm |
| TBC | 3rd place team | 4th place team | Neutral | 7:30pm |
| TBC | Loser Qualifier 1 | Winner Eliminator | Neutral | 7:30pm |
| 28/5/2023 | Winner Qualifier 1 | Winner Qualifier 2 | Ahmedabad | 7:30pm |
IPL 2023 venues
| Teams | Venues |
| Chennai Super Kings | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium |
| Deli Capitals | Arun Jaitley Stadium |
| Gujarat Titans | Narendra Modi Stadium |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Eden Gardens |
| Lucknow Super Giants | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium |
| Mumbai Indians | Wankhede Stadium |
| Punjab Indians | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium |
| Rajasthan Royals | Sawan Mansingh Stadium |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad |
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