THE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL) 2025 will start on March 22, with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Sunday.
The tournament’s 18th edition will feature 74 matches played across 13 venues, culminating in the final on May 25, also at Eden Gardens.
All ten teams will compete for the title, with top international players, including India’s Virat Kohli, Australia’s Pat Cummins, and England’s Jos Buttler, joining their respective franchises.
The IPL auction for this season saw record-breaking bids. Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history, bought for £2.54 million by Lucknow Super Giants, who later named him captain.
Shreyas Iyer, who led Kolkata to the title last season, was picked by Punjab Kings for £2.52 million, making him the second-most expensive signing.
Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has generated billions in revenue, solidifying the BCCI’s position as one of the wealthiest governing bodies in sport.
Mark your calendars, folks! 🥳🗓#TATAIPL 2025 kicks off on March 2️⃣2️⃣ with a clash between @KKRiders and @RCBTweets 🤜🤛
When is your favourite team's first match? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/f2tf3YcSyY
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 16, 2025
The league has also contributed to the global popularity of T20 cricket, inspiring similar leagues worldwide.
IPL 2025 Full Schedule (BST)
March
- March 22 (Saturday), 2:00 PM – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Kolkata)
- March 23 (Sunday), 10:00 AM – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals (Hyderabad)
- March 23 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians (Chennai)
- March 24 (Monday), 2:00 PM – Delhi Capitals vs Lucknow Super Giants (Visakhapatnam)
- March 25 (Tuesday), 2:00 PM – Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings (Ahmedabad)
- March 26 (Wednesday), 2:00 PM – Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Guwahati)
- March 27 (Thursday), 2:00 PM – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants (Hyderabad)
- March 28 (Friday), 2:00 PM – Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Chennai)
- March 29 (Saturday), 2:00 PM – Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians (Ahmedabad)
- March 30 (Sunday), 10:00 AM – Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Visakhapatnam)
- March 30 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings (Guwahati)
- March 31 (Monday), 2:00 PM – Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Mumbai)
- April 1 (Tuesday), 2:00 PM – Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings (Lucknow)
- April 2 (Wednesday), 2:00 PM – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans (Bengaluru)
- April 3 (Thursday), 2:00 PM – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Kolkata)
- April 4 (Friday), 2:00 PM – Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians (Lucknow)April 5 (Saturday), 10:00 AM – Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals (Chennai)
- April 5 (Saturday), 2:00 PM – Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (New Chandigarh)
- April 6 (Sunday), 10:00 AM – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants (Kolkata)April 6 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Titans (Hyderabad)
- April 7 (Monday), 2:00 PM – Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Mumbai)
- April 8 (Tuesday), 2:00 PM – Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings (New Chandigarh)
- April 9 (Wednesday), 2:00 PM – Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals (Ahmedabad)
- April 10 (Thursday), 2:00 PM – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals (Bengaluru)
- April 11 (Friday), 2:00 PM – Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Chennai)
- April 12 (Saturday), 10:00 AM – Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans (Lucknow)
- April 12 (Saturday), 2:00 PM – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings (Hyderabad)
- April 13 (Sunday), 10:00 AM – Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Jaipur)
- April 13 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians (Delhi)
- April 14 (Monday), 2:00 PM – Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings (Lucknow)
- April 15 (Tuesday), 2:00 PM – Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders (New Chandigarh)
- April 16 (Wednesday), 2:00 PM – Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals (Delhi)
- April 17 (Thursday), 2:00 PM – Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Mumbai)
- April 18 (Friday), 2:00 PM – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings (Bengaluru)
- May 3 (Saturday), 2:00 PM – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings (Bengaluru)
- May 4 (Sunday), 10:00 AM – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals (Kolkata)
- May 4 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants (Dharamsala)
- May 5 (Monday), 2:00 PM – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals (Hyderabad)
- May 6 (Tuesday), 2:00 PM – Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans (Mumbai)
- May 7 (Wednesday), 2:00 PM – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings (Kolkata)
- May 8 (Thursday), 2:00 PM – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals (Dharamsala)
- May 9 (Friday), 2:00 PM – Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Lucknow)
- May 10 (Saturday), 2:00 PM – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Hyderabad)
- May 11 (Sunday), 10:00 AM – Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians (Dharamsala)
- May 11 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans (Delhi)
- May 12 (Monday), 2:00 PM – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (Chennai)
- May 13 (Tuesday), 2:00 PM – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Bengaluru)
- May 14 (Wednesday), 2:00 PM – Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants (Ahmedabad)
- May 15 (Thursday), 2:00 PM – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals (Mumbai)
- May 16 (Friday), 2:00 PM – Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings (Jaipur)
- May 17 (Saturday), 2:00 PM – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Bengaluru)
- May 18 (Sunday), 10:00 AM – Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings (Ahmedabad)
- May 18 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Lucknow)
- May 20 (Tuesday), 2:00 PM – Qualifier 1 (Hyderabad)
- May 21 (Wednesday), 2:00 PM – Eliminator (Hyderabad)
- May 23 (Friday), 2:00 PM – Qualifier 2 (Kolkata)
- May 25 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – Final (Kolkata)