The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Sunday. Into its 18th season, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most lucrative franchise-based T20 cricket tournament in the world. The tournament will begin on March 22 and conclude on May 25, featuring 74 matches across 65 days, including 12 doubleheaders.
Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the season opener, the final, and Qualifier 2. This marks the first time in a decade that the iconic venue will host an IPL final, having last done so in 2013 and 2015. Hyderabad, home to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), will host Qualifier 1 on May 20 and the Eliminator on May 21.
The opening match will see defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 22. The much-anticipated clash between the two most successful IPL franchises, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), will follow on March 23. The first doubleheader of the season will also feature last year’s runners-up, SRH, hosting Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the afternoon.
Expanded Venues
This season will be played across 13 venues, including three additional cities: Guwahati (Royals’ second home venue), Visakhapatnam (Capitals’ second home venue), and Dharamsala (Punjab’s second home venue). Guwahati and Visakhapatnam will each host two matches, while Dharamsala will stage three.
New season, same format
The format remains unchanged since the IPL expanded to ten teams in 2022. The teams are divided into two groups:
· Group A: Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
· Group B: Mumbai Indians (MI), Gujarat Titans (GT), Delhi Capitals (DC), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Each team will play the others in their group and one team from the opposite group twice, while facing the remaining four teams once. For example, CSK and MI will meet twice despite being in different groups.
The IPL 2025 league stage will run from March 22 to May 18, followed by the playoffs from May 20 to May 25.
(With inputs from agencies)