The upcoming IPL 2025 season is set to begin on March 22 with a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens. The tournament will then move to Hyderabad for Qualifier 1 on May 20, followed by the Eliminator on May 21. Kolkata will host Qualifier 2 on May 23 and the final on May 25. Over the course of two months, a total of 74 matches will be played in 13 different cities. The complete schedule can be found below.
So, it looks like there are thirteen cities involved. Does that mean certain teams have multiple places they call home?
As in 2024, Delhi Capitals will have home games both in Delhi and Visakhapatnam, while Punjab Kings will play in Mullanpur and Dharamsala, and Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur and Guwahati. Meanwhile, the remaining seven teams will each have a single home base.
Mark March 22 on your calendars for the start of IPL 2025, with a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens. The action will move to Hyderabad for Qualifier 1 on May 20 and Eliminator on May 21. The excitement continues in Kolkata with Qualifier 2 on May 23 and the final on May 25. A total of 74 matches will be spread out over two months in 13 different cities, so don’t miss out! Check out the complete schedule below.
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Similarly, in the upcoming 2024 season, Delhi Capitals will once again host their home games in both Delhi and Visakhapatnam. Punjab Kings will also have two home venues, being Mullanpur and Dharamsala, while Rajasthan Royals will alternate between Jaipur and Guwahati. As for the remaining seven teams, they each have a single designated home base.
Will the format remain unchanged?
The ten teams have been split into two virtual groups.
Group A consists of five teams: Chennai Super Kings, KKR, RR, RCB, and PBKS.
Group B consists of MI, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, DC, and Lucknow Super Giants.
The teams in each group will face each other twice. Additionally, they will compete against one team from the opposite group two times – this is decided by seeding. In addition, the remaining four teams will be played once. Ultimately, every team will have a total of 14 matches, with an equal number of seven home and away games. Following this, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs.
Could you provide me with the schedule for the matches?
The start time for all evening games has been scheduled for 7.30pm IST. As for the afternoon matches, with a total of 12 double-headers, they will commence at 3.30pm IST.
Anything fresh happening in IPL 2025?
Quite a few changes have taken place. For instance, five teams will have new captains. Shreyas Iyer, who previously led KKR to victory in 2024, will now captain Punjab Kings. At the same time, Ajinkya Rahane has taken over the role of captain at KKR. Rishabh Pant, who was let go by DC before the mega auction, is now leading LSG. On the other hand, DC has entrusted Axar Patel with the captaincy. Additionally, Rajat Patidar, yet to make an appearance in T20I for India, will lead RCB.
Two franchise teams will undergo a brief change in leadership. MI’s initial match against CSK will not include Hardik Pandya, who is serving a ban for an over-rate violation from the previous season. While Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, will act as his replacement. Additionally, RR’s first three games will have Sanju Samson as a batter due to a finger injury from February. Riyan Parag has been appointed as the captain in his place.
Additional notable player movements include KL Rahul’s transfer to DC, Yuzvendra Chahal joining PBKS, R Ashwin being recruited by Chennai Super Kings, and Mohammed Siraj now playing for Gujarat Titans. For further details on these updates, please refer to our coverage.
What about the administrative team?
They have also undergone changes. Ricky Ponting, who previously served as DC’s head coach, will now take on the same role at PBKS. Hemang Badani has taken over his position at DC. Additionally, DC has enlisted Kevin Pietersen as their mentor.
Rahul Dravid, who led India to victory at the T20 World Cup last year, has now taken on the role of head coach for RR. KKR has welcomed Dwayne Bravo as their new mentor, replacing Gautam Gambhir. Additionally, Matthew Wade, formerly a player with GT until 2024, has joined their coaching staff as an assistant. For more updates on changes within the IPL teams, visit our IPL Newsfile section.
Who are the priciest players in IPL 2025?
The mega auction saw LSG sign the most expensive player, Pant, for INR 27 crore (USD 3.21 million approx.). Close behind is Shreyas Iyer, signed by PBKS for INR 26.75 crore (USD 3.18 million approx.), while KKR’s Venkatesh Iyer comes in third at INR 23.75 crore (USD 2.83 million approx.). SRH also retained Henrich Klaasen for a hefty sum of INR 23 crore (USD 2.74 million approx.). For a full breakdown of players and their respective signings, click here.
How could CSK possibly only pay INR 4 crore (USD 0.48 million approx.) to retain MS Dhoni?
The recent IPL season reinstated a previous regulation allowing Indian players to be kept on as uncapped players if their last international game was over five years ago. This meant that Dhoni, who last represented India at the 2019 ODI World Cup, was eligible for retention. Similarly, RR also exercised this option and retained Sandeep Sharma under the same rule.
Are there any additional rules being implemented?
In the second innings of an evening match, fielding teams now have the option to request a ball change after the tenth over. This change has been implemented to combat dew on the field. In further positive news for bowlers, the restriction on using saliva to polish the ball has been lifted. Additionally, Hawk-Eye technology will be utilized to determine off-side and head-high wides, as well as waist-high no-balls.
Are there any major players absent from the game?
Unfortunately, Jasprit Bumrah will not be able to play in the initial matches for Mumbai Indians due to his ongoing back injury. Additionally, both AM Ghazanfar and Lizaad Williams will also be unable to participate due to injuries. However, we are pleased to announce that Mujeeb Ur Rahaman and Corbin Bosch will be stepping in as their replacements.
Mayank Yadav will not be able to play in the first portion of the season at LSG due to a back injury. Rumors surrounding England’s white-ball captaincy have caused Harry Brook to withdraw. According to IPL regulations, he will also be unable to compete in the following two seasons. Fortunately, Mitchell Marsh has been given the green light by LSG as a specialized batter after previously missing out on the Champions Trophy due to a back injury.
Unfortunately, Brydon Carse of Sunrisers Hyderabad will be unable to play due to a toe injury. As a result, Wiaan Mulder has been brought in as his replacement.
Where can I stream the live coverage of IPL 2025?
In Australia, both Foxtel and Kayo Sports are available as entertainment options.
England is associated with Sky Sports.
In India, you can catch all your favorite sporting events on both Star Sports and JioHotstar.
Sky Sports is available in New Zealand.
In South Africa, SuperSport is the go-to source for sports coverage.
In the UAE, Starz On is available.
