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Amid the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kolkata's Eden Gardens is all set to host the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator matches of the cash-rich tournament.
The last league stage of IPL 2022 will be played on May 22 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. The Playoffs stage will kick start from May 24 in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. "We are all looking forward to it. In fact, we are hosting an IPL after a gap of three years because in 2019 we hosted it last. As you know that for the last couple of years it has been shifted to UAE and even this year also that matches are taking place in Mumbai, so now that things have improved, we are looking forward to it," Cricket Association of Bengal president Avishek Dalmiya told ANI. Full capacity crowds will be present in the stadium after a gap of two years as previous two seasons were played inside empty stadiums or had a limited capacity of spectators due to COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, Eden Gardens had hosted India's matches against New Zealand and West Indies in November 2021 and February 2022, respectively. "It's not like Eden is not ready. We have hosted international matches in November. We have been talking to the authorities. We had meetings with the police authorities. Today, there was a PWD visit. Beyond that, we even had meetings with the army and the sports department. So, the preparations are in full swing and there is a huge demand for tickets," said the CAB president. The playoffs will be played in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, with Qualifier 1 set to take place in the Eden Gardens, followed by the Eliminator on the next day. The Narendra Modi stadium will host the Qualifier 2 on May 27. The same venue will host the finals on May 29. The four grounds used for the matches so far are in Maharashtra itself, namely: Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and the MCA Stadium in Pune. (ANI)
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