IPL 2024: how to watch Indian Premier League on UK TV, tournament schedule, groups and past winners

For any fans who are still missing the frequency of cricket the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup provided, fear not for the Indian Premier League is nearing it's return!

While there are now several short-format franchise tournaments that take place around the world, including the Pakistan Super League, The Hundred and even America's new Major League Cricket, the IPL was the first of this kind with stars from around the world all eagerly hoping to be drafted into the set-up.

England will see white-ball captain Jos Buttler make his ninth consecutive appearance in the competition while cricket fans around the world will be delighted to see the return of Rishabh Pant. The Indian wicket-keeper batsman has been out of action since December 2022 after he was involved in a near-fatal car crash but he now is now ready to get back out on the pitch and will lead the Delhi Capitals in their quest for 2024 IPL glory.

Ahead of the start of the competition, here is all you need to know about how to keep up with the action...

When is the IPL tournament?

The T20 competition will begin on Friday 22 March with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings hosting the Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2.30pm GMT. It is highly likely that this fixture will also be a MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli box office smash.

The full schedule of the tournament is yet to be confirmed due to the Lok Sabha elections being held in India between 19 April and 1 June. The first two weeks have been announced and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have said that the remainder would be announced in due course. Similarly, the date for the final is yet to be confirmed but it is likely to take place on the last weekend in May.

How to watch the IPL tournament

The IPL will be shown on Sky Sports with coverage shared across the Main Event, Cricket and Sky Sports Mix TV channels. Fans can tune into Sky Sports from £18/month or with a NowTV pass and those wishing to stream can do so through the SkyGo app.

For those unable to watch the fixtures, the BBC will also provide commentary for over 40 games, including the opener and final. This can be accessed on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sport website and app.

What are the teams in the IPL?

Once again there will be ten teams competing for the IPL 2024 crown. They are split into two groups with teams in the same group playing once and those in the other group twice (home and away). The play-offs then begin with the first vs second from the group stages fighting for a place in the final.

Third and fourth then play each other with the loser eliminated. The winner then takes on the loser of the first eliminator to determine who will face the first match's winner in the grand finale.

Here are the teams and their respective captains:

Group A:

• Mumbai Indians - Hardik Pandya
• Kolkata Knight Riders - Shreyas Iyer
• Rajasthan Royals - Sanju Samson
• Delhi Capitals - Rishabh Pant
• Lucknow Super Giants - KL Rahul

Group B:

• Chennai Super Kings - MS Dhoni
• Sunrisers Hyderabad - Pat Cummins
• Gujarat Titans - Shubman Gill
• Royal Challengers Bangalore - Faf du Plessis
• Punjab Kings - Shikhar Dhawan

Past winners of the IPL

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians both have five wins to their name and will seek to lift a sixth trophy and earn bragging rights over the other. Here are the past winners of the IPL dating back to 2008:

• 2023: Chennai Super Kings
• 2022: Gujarat Titans
• 2021: Chennai Super Kings
• 2020: Mumbai Indians
• 2019: Mumbai Indians
• 2018: Chennai Super Kings
• 2017: Mumbai Indians
• 2016: Sunrisers Hyderabad
• 2015: Mumbai Indians
• 2014: Kolkata Knight Riders
• 2013: Mumbai Indians
• 2012: Kolkata Knight Riders
• 2011: Chennai Super Kings
• 2010: Chennai Super Kings
• 2009: Deccan Chargers
• 2008: Rajasthan Royals