World’s most lucrative and watched annual T20 cricket tournament announces key matches and dates ahead of next month’s kickoff.

The money-spinning Indian Premier League will begin on March 22 with holders Kolkata Knight Riders to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced.

Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens will be the venue for the opener and the final on May 25, with 74 matches to be played across 13 venues in the 18th edition of the hugely popular Twenty20 (T20) tournament, the BCCI announced on Sunday.

Ten teams will compete for the title as the world’s top cricketers, with Indian star Virat Kohli, Australia’s Pat Cummins and Jos Buttler of England all joining their respective teams in India’s searing heat.

The IPL auction for this edition shattered records as Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player when he was sold for a record $3.2m to Lucknow Super Giants, who later made him captain.

Shreyas Iyer, a title-winning skipper with Kolkata last season, was picked by Punjab Kings for 267.5 million rupees ($3.1m) as the second-most-expensive buy.

The IPL has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning the BCC into one of the richest governing bodies in sport.

The pioneering IPL helped make T20 cricket more popular, spawning copycat events worldwide.