It’s here. The biggest carnival in cricket where talent and dreams collide in a fusion of entertainment and sport, is here. Two months of nonstop, breakneck action, is here. IPL 2024 IS HERE. What makes this IPL different? How have Mumbai Indians evolved from last season? The who, what, where, and everything in between, we have it all covered for you.. 

Woah, it’s been a non-stop season for the Blue and Gold, hasn’t it?

Indeed. Ever since the SA20 started in the first week of January, followed by the ILT20 a week later - a tournament won by MI Emirates - and then the Women’s Premier League that ended on Sunday, there’s no break for us, Paltan! SEASON 17 OF THE IPL IS HERE for a two-month long carnival of action every single night. 

For starters, where did Mumbai Indians finish in 2023?

The Mum-BOYS fell two steps short of Trophy #6 as they registered a third-place finish after a defeat to Gujarat Titans in the second Qualifier. 

We had a solid campaign, where MI withstood the bouts of injuries in the camp to secure eight wins in 14 league games. While we started the season with back-to-back defeats, the MI mentality kicked in, and the team won the next three games on the trot. This ensured the team kept pushing and pushing to secure a Playoffs berth, and they did so until the roadblock in the penultimate fixture.

Okay, back to IPL 2024. When is our first game?

It’s the revenge clash, a repeat of the 2023 Qualifier with Gujarat Giants in Ahmedabad, the same team and venue that ended our 2023 campaign. It’s time to put that firmly behind us and make some happy memories. A super Sunday evening beckons (March 24) .

And when do we play our first game at home?

IPL cricket returns to the Wankhede Stadium after over 300 days, with the Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals on April 1. Well, here’s a little throwback to 2010. Owing to the general elections in India set to be held in April and May 2024, only the initial schedule for the first two weeks of the IPL is out. 

Alright! Tell me the tournament format

Like the previous edition, the tournament will see every team play 14 league matches. At the end of the league phase, the top four teams will proceed to the playoffs — the top two into Qualifier 1, the winner of which goes directly into the Final and the loser gets another chance by moving to play the second Qualifier. Teams finishing third and fourth play the Eliminator, the winner of which moves to face the team waiting in the second Qualifier 2. The winner from here moves to the Final. 

Question, question! We heard there are some new rules. Elaborate, please?

Yes, you heard it right. Here are some of those new rule changes in this year’s IPL that are different from the ICC playing conditions. 

1. Bowlers are permitted to bowl two bouncers (short ball delivery) in a single over
2. The Two Referral rule - checking a catch while a referral is made for stumping - is to stay
3. No stop-clock rule
4. Impact Player Rule to stay
5. The introduction of the Smart Replay System that would speed up the reviews

Wow! So tell us, how many new MI players will we see in IPL 2024?

Count with us, Paltan. Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Luke Wood (replacing Jason Behrendorff) and Kwena Maphaka - who replaces our auction recruit Dilshan Madushanka.

Lastly, tell us the dates when we should apply for leave!

March 24, 2024 | Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians | Ahmedabad

March 27, 2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians | Hyderabad

April 1, 2024 | Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai

April 7, 2024 | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals | Mumbai