The Indian Premier League (IPL) is back for its 18th season, with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kicking off their campaign at Eden Gardens. As one of the world’s most prestigious and lucrative T20 leagues, the tournament will see 10 teams battle for supremacy.
IPL 2025 Schedule
The two-month-long competition will commence on March 22 and conclude on May 25 in Kolkata. Matches will be played in two slots:
• Day matches: 3:30 PM (10:00 GMT)
• Night matches: 7:30 PM (14:00 GMT)
Key Dates:
• Round-robin phase: March 22 - May 18
• Qualifier 1: May 20 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
• Eliminator: May 21 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
• Qualifier 2: May 23 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
• Final: May 25 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Tournament Format
This season marks the return of the league-style round-robin format, where each team plays the other nine teams twice. The top two teams will face off in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing to the final. The third- and fourth-placed teams will compete in the Eliminator, and the winner will challenge the Qualifier 1 loser in Qualifier 2 for the second spot in the final.
Team Captains for IPL 2025
Several teams have made captaincy changes this season:
• Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad
• Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel
• Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill
• Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane
• Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant
• Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya
• Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer
• Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar
• Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins
Biggest Signings of IPL 2025
• Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants): $3.2 million – Most expensive player
• Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings): $3.17 million
• Jos Buttler (Gujarat Titans): $1.8 million – Most expensive overseas player
Key Storylines for IPL 2025
• Jasprit Bumrah’s Return: The Mumbai Indians pacer has been recovering from a back injury, and his absence could impact MI’s campaign.
• RCB’s Trophy Hunt: Despite having Virat Kohli, RCB has never won an IPL title in 17 years. Will this be their breakthrough season?
• MS Dhoni’s Future: The Chennai Super Kings legend continues to play as a specialist batter, raising questions about how long he will continue.
• Gill-Buttler Partnership: Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill will aim for a strong season alongside English star Jos Buttler.
Venues for IPL 2025
Home Grounds:
• MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – CSK
• Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi – DC
• Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad – GT
• M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru – RCB
• Eden Gardens, Kolkata – KKR
• BRSABV Ekana Stadium, Lucknow – LSG
• Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai – MI
• Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Punjab – PBKS
• Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur – RR
• Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad – SRH
Neutral Venues:
• Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium, Visakhapatnam
• Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
• HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
IPL 2025 Prize Money
• Champions: $2.32 million
• Runners-up: $1.5 million
• Third place: $810,800
• Fourth place: $752,894
Past IPL Champions
• Chennai Super Kings: 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023
• Mumbai Indians: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020
• Kolkata Knight Riders: 2012, 2014, 2024
• Rajasthan Royals: 2008
• Sunrisers Hyderabad: 2016
• Gujarat Titans: 2022
• Deccan Chargers: 2009
With star-studded squads, high stakes, and thrilling encounters expected, IPL 2025 promises to be another blockbuster season for cricket fans worldwide.