Where to watch the Indian Premier League live online in the UK

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is known as the most-attended cricket league in the world. But that will not be the case for the upcoming tournament, which will be the 14th in the event’s history.

This year’s competition, like the 2020 edition, will be held without fans, at least for the initial phase of the T20 tournament held across six venues in India. No team will be permitted to play at home this year.

Despite a COVID-19 surge, Mumbai has been named as one of the host cities. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata are the other venues. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the final on 30 May, as well as the playoffs.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament opener in Chennai at 3pm BST on Friday 9 April.

Each team is set to play at 4 venues during the 56-match league stage. The 4 top-ranked teams qualify for the playoffs, beginning at 3pm BST on Tuesday 25 May in Ahmedabad.

How to watch 2021 Indian Premier League

Once again this season the IPL is exclusive to Sky Sports. If you are an existing Sky TV customer with access to Sky Sports, you are all set. If not, you can sign up for a new broadband deal with Sky that includes Sky Sports to ensure you can watch all the action on the pitch.

If you don’t want to sign a long-term contract and still want to make sure you can catch all the big hits and bouncers of the IPL, you should consider a day or month pass to NOW, which also carries all of this year’s IPL action.

Stream the IPL with NOW

NOW is a streaming service that lets you stream content on your preferred device on your terms. It currently has two options, a day pass for a one-off payment of £9.98 or a monthly pass for £33.99 per month. Regular deals and discounts are also offered.

The passes give you access to an enormous amount of world-class sport across 11 Sky Sports channels. Live Premier League matches, Formula 1, PGA Tour golf and so much more is all available via NOW.

There are no lock-in contracts so you can cancel any time. Just remember to cancel your monthly pass before the next cycle or the payment will be made automatically. You can find more information in our NOW guide.

What is the format of the IPL?

The eight teams in the tournament – Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore – play each other twice. The top four teams then qualify for the finals series.

Who is competing in IPL 2021?

Players can be signed via an annual auction or via trading windows. South African all-rounder Chris Morris recently became the IPL’s most expensive player ever when the Rajasthan Royals bought him for US$2.2 million.

Prominent Australians Glenn Maxwell and Jhye Richardson were sold for a combined US$3.8 million.

Mumbai Indians are the tournament’s most successful side with five IPL victories to date. In 2021 there is a total of US$7.3 million in prize money awarded to the teams, with the champions walking away with US$3 million.