The opening match of IPL 2009 will be played at Newlands in Cape Town on April 18, and the final will be held at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on May 24, according to reports in the Indian media.
The IPL is yet to officially release its schedule, and at least two franchises have confirmed to Cricinfo that they haven't received an official copy, but PTI and the Hindu have released what they have claimed is the tournament fixture. According to these reports, a double-header lined up on the opening day will have defending champions Rajasthan Royals taking on the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the first match, followed by the clash between last year's runners-up Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians at the same venue.
In all, the 59 matches will be held across eight cities - Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, East London, Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth, the reports said.
Kingsmead in Durban, which has a sizeable Indian-origin population, has been reportedly allocated 16 matches while Centurion Park in Pretoria will host 12 ties. The Wanderers in Johannesburg and Newlands in Cape Town will stage eight matches each, while St George's Park in Port Elizabeth and Buffalo Park in East London have been given seven and four matches respectively, the reports said. Two matches each have been handed to the Outsurance Oval in Bloemfontein and De Beers Oval in Kimberley.
- Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Royal challangers (RCB)
- Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Deccan Chargers (DC)
- Delhi Daredevils (DD)
- Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)
The matches will be held at 12.30pm and 4.30pm (4.00pm and 8.00pm IST).
The schedule (All times IST; according to PTI):
Apr 18:
Rajasthan Royals (RR) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) (4 pm) at Cape Town
Mumbai Indians (MI) v Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (8 pm) at Cape Town
Apr 19:
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) v Deccan Chargers (DC) (4 pm) at Cape Town
Delhi Daredevils (DD) v Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (8 pm) at Cape Town
Apr 20:
RCB V CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
Apr 21:
RR v MI (4 pm) at Durban
KKR v KXIP (8 pm) at Durban
Apr 22:
DD v CSK (4 pm) at Durban
RCB v DC (8 pm) at Cape Town
Apr 23:
KKR v RR (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
Apr 24:
KXIP v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
Apr 25:
KKR v CSK (4 pm) at Cape Town
DC v MI (8 pm) at Durban
Apr 26:
RR v KXIP (4 pm) at Cape Town
RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth
Apr 27:
KKR v MI (4 pm) at Cape Town
CSK v DC (8 pm) at Durban
Apr 28:
DD v RR (4 pm) at Pretoria
Apr 29:
MI v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban
KKR v RCB (8 pm) at Durban
Apr 30:
DD v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria
RR v CSK (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 01:
RCB v KXIP (4 pm) at East London
MI v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 02:
RR v DC (4 pm) at Johannesburg
CSK v DD (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 03:
MI v RCB (4 pm) at Durban
KXIP v KKR (8 pm) at East London
May 04:
DC v CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 05:
DD v KKR (4 pm) at Durban
KXIP v RR (8 pm) at Durban
May 06:
MI v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 07:
KXIP v CSK (4 pm) at Pretoria
RCB v RR (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 08:
DD v MI (4 pm) at East London
May 09:
DC v KXIP (4 pm) at Bloemfontein
CSK v RR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 10:
KKR v DD (4 pm) at East London
RCB v MI (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 11:
DC v RR (4 pm) at Bloemfontein
May 12:
RCB v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria
KXIP v MI (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 13:
DC v DD (4 pm) at Durban
May 14:
MI v RR (4 pm) at Durban
CSK v RCB (8 pm) at Durban
May 15:
KXIP v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley
May 16:
CSK v MI (4 pm) at Johannesburg
DC v KKR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 17:
RR v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley
KXIP v DC (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 18:
CSK v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 19:
DD v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
May 20:
CSK v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban
RR v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 21:
DC v RCB (4 pm) at Pretoria
MI v DD (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 22: Semi Final 1 at Pretoria
May 23: Semi Final 2 at Johannesburg
May 24: Final at Johannesburg
