Eden Gardens will play host to the first game of IPL 2013

The 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin with a bang as defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders, will play host to the Delhi Daredevils at Eden Gardens on April 3.

The 76-game season will have the same format as it did last year, where each of the nine franchises will play each other at home and away before the start of the playoffs.

The top four teams at the end of the group stages on May 19 will qualify for the playoffs.

The first qualifier will be a battle between the top two teams in Chennai and the winner of the match will head to Kolkata for the finals and will joined by the winner of the second qualifier, which will feature the number three and four ranked franchises.

The new IPL franchise, the Hyderabad Sunrisers will start their maiden IPL campaign on home soil against the Pune Warriors on April 5.

The 2013 edition of the tournament will be played in 11 locations, nine of them being the franchises’ venues and the other two being Dharamsala and Ranchi.

The Kings XI Punjab will play their final two home games in Dharamsala, while the Kolkata Knight Riders will be in the same spot, expect their last two home games will be held in Ranchi.