By What Hi-Fi?
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Live stream the 2021 IPL live from anywhere when play commences
The Indian Premier League 2021 – the world's biggest T20 cricket competition – has been postponed due to the ongoing covid-19 crisis. Sunrisers Hyderabad were scheduled to play against Mumbai Indians in Delhi today, 4th May, but that match is cancelled after an SRH player tested positive. The BCCI says it will meet again soon to decide how to conclude this edition. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of India during this difficult time. Fingers crossed cricket fans will be able to watch a 2021 IPL live stream from anywhere very soon.
IPL live stream 2021
Date: 9th April – 30th May 2021(currently postponed)
Start time: 3pm BST / 7.30pm IST / 12am AEST
Venues: Chennai / Mumbai / Ahmedabad / Dehli / Bangalore / Kolkata
Australia stream: Kayo Sports (free 14-day trial)
Watch anywhere: ExpressVPN
India stream: Disney+ Hotstar (£3/month)
US stream:Hotstar US($50/year) / Willow.TV (cable subscribers only)
So, the IPL is on ice for now. The official BCCI statement reads: "The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect... we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times."
After moving to the UAE in 2020 owing to national lockdowns, the VIVO IPL returned to India for 2021. Matches were being played behind closed doors at neutral grounds in six cities: Chennai,Mumbai, Ahmedabad,Delhi,Bangalore and Kolkata.
Eight teams are competing for four playoff places, with just two progressing to the grand final (originally set for on Sunday 30th May but now postponed) . As usual, each team is allowed up to eight overseas players – but only four can appear in the starting XI.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians were favourites to hit the IPL 2021 for six but they now languish mid-table having lost two out of their last three matches. Still, with big hitters such as Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya in their ranks, plus New Zealand's Trent Boult, Mumbai could mount a comeback.
Rajasthan Royals might have finished bottom of the IPL last year but with England duo Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler on hand, Jaipurian hopes remain high. As for the Kolkata Knight Riders, they'll be led by England's Eoin Morgan, who has a couple of top signings at his disposal: Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan and Australia's Ben Cutting.
Three-time IPL winners the Chennai Super Kings are in second place, captained by veteran wicket-keeper MS Dhoni, who has played in every IPL since its inception in 2008. With England's Moeen Ali and Sam Curran available for selection, CSK have outperformed and are in contention for a fourth IPL trophy.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, champions in 2016, aren't short of talent. They can pick from England's Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, Australia's David Warner, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and the world's number one-ranked T20 bowler, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan.
The Delhi Capitals, who narrowly lost out Mumbai by five wickets in last year's final, are top of the table. Like the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore, DC are very much in the hunt for their first-ever IPL trophy. Both teams are looking like title contenders having won four out of five of their opening matches.
Finally, Kings Punjab are still hoping for big things having signed Aussie fast bowler Jhye Richardson for £1.8m and England's world number one-ranked T20 batsman, Dawid Malan.
Most of this year's IPL matches start at 3pm UK time, with a few Sunday double-headers scheduled for 11am. You can view the full IPL 2021 schedule here. Make sure you know how to watch a 2021 IPL live stream from anywhere in the world when place recommences.
How to watch the 2021 IPL for free
Cricket fans in Australia can watch the 2021 IPL for free thanks to Kayo Sports. The popular Aussie streaming service carries the Fox Sports channel which has the rights to air every 2021 IPL match. A Kayo subscription costs from AU$25 per month but new users get a free 14-day trial.
Going to be outside Australia during the 2021 IPL season? You'll need to use a VPN to access Kayo Sports without being geo-blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN because it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support.
You can cancel Kayo Sports at anytime – there's no lock-in contract – and access includes ton of top-notch sports, from F1 to football and golf. All in all, it's a pretty generous offering – especially with the free trial.
How to watch the IPL abroad using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2021 IPL cricket rights holders, you won't be able to use them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days
ExpressVPN hits it for six with a 30-day money back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. There's 24/7 customer support and three months free when you sign-up.
UK: IPL live stream 2021
Sky Sports has the rights to Indian Premier League cricket in the UK. Catch the action on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket in HD. There is no 4K coverage.
To watch, you'll need to either subscribe to Sky Sports on your platform of choice orbuy a Now Sky Sports streaming pass. Note that the mobile pass will not offer you access to the cricket, so either go for a £9.99 Day Pass or, for better value, the £33.99 Montly Pass.
Now Sky Sports Month Pass + HD boost for£33.99
Watch the 2021 IPL cricket, as well as all Sky's coverage of football, golf and the 2021 F1 season in 1080p HD. No strings, no commitments, just lots of lovely sport streamed to your laptop, desktop or phone.
Sky subscribers can add the 11 Sky Sports channels to their packagehere. Virgin Media and BT TV customers will be able to watch a 2021 IPL live stream by subscribing to the Sky channels on their platform too.
IPL live stream 2021 in India
Disney+ Hotstaris the place to find live coverage of the 2021 IPL in India. Opt for the Premium subscriptionand you'll get access to live cricket plus original Disney+ content (in English). Disney+ Hotstar Premium costs Rs. 299 (around £3/$3) per month, or you can take out an annual subscription for Rs. 1499.
It's only available within India but you can access your Hotstar account from anywhere using a VPN.We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
USA: IPL live stream 2021
Time was, many Americans considered cricket to be little more than baseball on valium. But with the game gaining popularity in the States, US cricket fans have two ways to watch the 2021 IPL:
Willow TV is the official US broadcaster of the VIVO IPL 2021 but coverage is only available through TV Everywhere, meaning it's only available to cable customers. You'll need to subscribe to Willow and then sign in via the login page of your TV provider (Spectrum, Dish, Xfinity, etc).
Non-cable subscribers can live stream all the IPL action via Disney's Hotstar US. Subscription to the platform costs just $50 per year and includes live streams of every IPL game. Bargain. It's also home to many a Bollywood blockbuster.
Of course, Hotstar US is only available at that price within the USA.Stuck abroad this month? You'll need touse a VPNto access Hotstar US and live coverage of the 2021 IPL.
The Hotstar US app is available from theApple App StoreandGoogle Play Store.
IPL 2021 calendar
April 2021
9th Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai
10th Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Capitals, Mumbai
11th Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai
12th Rajasthan Royals v Punjab Kings, Mumbai
13th Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians, Chennai
14th Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai
15th Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Capitals, Mumbai
16th Punjab Kings v Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai
17th Mumbai Indians v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai
18thRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai
18thDelhi Capitals v Punjab Kings, Mumbai
19thChennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai
20thDelhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians, Chennai
21stPunjab Kings v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai
21stKolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super King, Mumbai
22ndRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai
23rdPunjab Kings v Mumbai Indians, Chennai
24thRajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai
25thChennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai
25thSunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Capitals, Chennai
26thPunjab Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders, Ahmedabad
27thDelhi Capitals v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ahmedabad
28thChennai Super Kings v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi
29thMumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals, Delhi
29th Delhi Capitals v Kolkata Knight Riders, Ahmedabad
30thPunjab Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ahmedabad
May 2021
1stMumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings, Delhi
2ndRajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi
2ndPunjab Kings v Delhi Capitals, Ahmedabad
3rdKolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ahmedabad
4thSunrisers Hyderabad v Mumbai Indians, Delhi
5thRajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings, Delhi
6thRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Punjab Kings, Ahmedabad
7thSunrisers Hyderabad v Chennai Super Kings, Delhi
8thKolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Capitals, Ahmedabad
8thRajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians, Delhi
9thChennai Super Kings v Punjab Kings, Bengaluru
9thRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata
10thMumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru
11thDelhi Capitals v Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata
12thChennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru
13thMumbai Indians v Punjab Kings, Bengaluru
13thSunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata
14thRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Capitals, Kolkata
15thKolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings, Bengaluru
16thRajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata
16thChennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians, Bengaluru
17thDelhi Capitals v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata
18thKolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals, Bengaluru
19thSunrisers Hyderabad v Punjab Kings, Bengaluru
20thRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians, Kolkata
21stKolkata Knight Riders v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bengaluru
21stDelhi Capitals v Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata
22ndPunjab Kings v Rajasthan Royals, Bengaluru
23rdMumbai Indians v Delhi Capitals, Kolkata
23rdRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata
Playoffs
25thQualifier 1, Ahmedabad
26thEliminator, Ahmedabad
28thQualifier 2, Ahmedabad
Grand final
30thMay 2021 – TBA vs TBA, Ahmedabad
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