The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to commence on March 22, 2025, with a high-voltage clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
While the BCCI is yet to officially announce the full schedule, reports indicate that the board has shared key dates with the franchises.
IPL 2025 Season Opener:
As per tradition, the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, will kick off the season at their home ground.
They will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in what is expected to be an electrifying start to the tournament.
This is not the first time these two teams have faced off in the opening match; they also played in the inaugural IPL season in 2008, where KKR emerged victorious.
Other Key Dates and Matches:
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the runners-up from last season, will begin their campaign at home against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 23. This will be an afternoon game held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal.
- Rajasthan Royals will play two evening matches in Guwahati, which will be debuting as an IPL venue, against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and Chennai Super Kings on March 30.
- The final will be held on May 25 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the home city of the defending champions.
- Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will be hosted by Hyderabad, while Qualifier 2 will be held in Kolkata.
IPL 2025 Venue Highlights:
Apart from the usual ten venues, IPL 2025 will also feature matches in Guwahati and Dharamsala. Rajasthan Royals will host matches in Guwahati, while Punjab Kings will play some home games in Dharamsala.
The ten regular venues are Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Mullanpur Stadium, Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, and Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru has appointed Rajat Patidar as their new captain for the IPL 2025 season. Patidar’s leadership will be tested right from the first game against KKR.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla had initially indicated that IPL 2025 would begin on March 23, but the start date was revised to March 22. The full schedule is expected to be released soon.
The IPL 2025 is expected to be another blockbuster season with new team lineups and exciting venue additions.
