BCCI officially announces IPL 2025 schedule, KKR to kick off tournament and final will happen on this date

BCCI officially announces IPL 2025 schedule, KKR to kick off tournament and final will happen on this date
IPL trophy in frame

Highlights:

IPL 2025 schedule officially announced.

KKR will kick-off the tournament.

This is the 18th edition of the tournament.

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025's full schedule has been officially announced and will be starting from March 22 and the final will be played on May 25. Ten teams will participate in this season, competing in a total of 74 matches spanning two months. The full schedule of the IPL 2025 will be officially announced on February 16 at 5:30 in the evening. Kolkata Knight Riders will kick off the 18th edition of the top franchise tournament with the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Kolkata is scheduled to host both the second qualifier and the final. Hyderabad will host both the first qualifier and the eliminator. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be going against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 23. This season, there will be 74 games spread across 65 days at 13 venues.

The league stage of the tournament will conclude on May 18, with the playoffs taking place between May 20 and 25. The final match of the 2025 IPL season is scheduled for May 25 at Eden Gardens, which will also host Qualifier 2 on May 23.  The Eliminator and Qualifier 1 matches will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on May 20 and 21, respectively.

On March 23, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the runners-up from the previous season, will play the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their tournament opener. The five-time champions, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), will face off later that day in Chennai. On April 20, MI and CSK will get together once more in Mumbai. Additionally, CSK and RCB will play twice: at Bengaluru on May 3 and Chennai on March 28.

In addition to the cities of the ten teams, the Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals will play some of their home games in Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, and Dharamsala. By scheduling two games between the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the BCCI has made sure there will be plenty of excitement. Hyderabad and Kolkata will host the playoffs when the league stage concludes on May 18.

IPL 2025 Schedule

Match 1: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Saturday, 22-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 2: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, Sunday, 23-Mar-25, 3:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 3: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Sunday, 23-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai

Match 4: Delhi Capitals vs Lucknow Super Giants, Monday, 24-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Visakhapatnam

Match 5: Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings, Tuesday, 25-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Ahmedabad

Match 6: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Wednesday, 26-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Guwahati

Match 7: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants, Thursday, 27-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 8: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Friday, 28-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai

Match 9: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, Saturday, 29-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Ahmedabad

Match 10: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sunday, 30-Mar-25, 3:30 PM, Visakhapatnam

Match 11: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Sunday, 30-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Guwahati

Match 12: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 31-Mar-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai

Match 13: Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings, Wednesday, 01-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Lucknow

Match 14: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans, Wednesday, 02-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

Match 15: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Thursday, 03-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 16: Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians, Friday, 04-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Lucknow

Match 17: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Saturday, 05-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Chennai

Match 18: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Saturday, 06-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, New Chandigarh

Match 19: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, Sunday, 06-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 20: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Titans, Sunday, 06-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 21: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Monday, 07-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai

Match 22: Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings, Tuesday, 08-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, New Chandigarh

Match 23: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, Wednesday, 09-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Ahmedabad

Match 24: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals, Thursday, 10-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

Match 25: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Friday, 11-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai

Match 26: Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans, Saturday, 12-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Lucknow

Match 27: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, Saturday, 12-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 28: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunday, 13-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Jaipur

Match 29: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, Sunday, 13-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Delhi

Match 30: Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings, Monday, 14-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Lucknow

Match 31: Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 15-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, New Chandigarh

Match 32: Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, Wednesday, 16-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Delhi

Match 33: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Thursday, 17-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai

Match 34: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings, Friday, 18-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

Match 35: Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals, Saturday, 19-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Ahmedabad

Match 36: Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants, Saturday, 19-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Jaipur

Match 37: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunday, 20-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, New Chandigarh

Match 38: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Sunday, 20-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai

Match 39: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans, Monday, 21-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 40: Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals, Tuesday, 22-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Lucknow

Match 41: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, Wednesday, 23-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 42: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Rajasthan Royals, Thursday, 24-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

Match 43: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Friday, 25-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai

Match 44: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Saturday, 26-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 45: Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants, Sunday, 27-Apr-25, 3:30 PM, Mumbai

Match 46: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunday, 27-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Delhi

Match 47: Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans, Monday, 28-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Jaipur

Match 48: Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Tuesday, 29-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Delhi

Match 49: Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Wednesday, 30-Apr-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai

Match 50: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, Thursday, 01-May-25, 7:30 PM, Jaipur

Match 51: Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Friday, 02-May-25, 7:30 PM, Ahmedabad

Match 52: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings, Saturday, 03-May-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

Match 53: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, Sunday, 04-May-25, 3:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 54: Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Sunday, 04-May-25, 7:30 PM, Dharamsala

Match 55: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, Monday, 05-May-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 56: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans, Tuesday, 06-May-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai

Match 57: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Wednesday, 07-May-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 58: Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Thursday, 08-May-25, 7:30 PM, Dharamsala

Match 59: Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Friday, 09-May-25, 7:30 PM, Lucknow

Match 60: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Saturday, 10-May-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 61: Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Sunday, 11-May-25, 3:30 PM, Dharamsala

Match 62: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans, Sunday, 11-May-25, 7:30 PM, Delhi

Match 63: Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Monday, 12-May-25, 7:30 PM, Chennai

Match 64: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Tuesday, 13-May-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

Match 65: Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants, Wednesday, 14-May-25, 7:30 PM, Ahmedabad

Match 66: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Thursday, 15-May-25, 7:30 PM, Mumbai

Match 67: Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, Friday, 16-May-25, 7:30 PM, Jaipur

Match 68: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Saturday, 17-May-25, 7:30 PM, Bengaluru

Match 69: Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Sunday, 18-May-25, 3:30 PM, Ahmedabad

Match 70: Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sunday, 18-May-25, 7:30 PM, Lucknow

Match 71: Qualifier 1, Tuesday, 20-May-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 72: Eliminator, Wednesday, 21-May-25, 7:30 PM, Hyderabad

Match 73: Qualifier 2, Friday, 23-May-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata

Match 74: Final, Sunday, 25-May-25, 7:30 PM, Kolkata
 

A total of 182 players were sold for a total of Rs 639.15 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, as franchises strategically filled out their rosters after retaining their key players. Out of the 574 players available in the auction, several prominent players, including some with proven IPL success, garnered substantial bids.  Notably, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant made history as the most expensive player ever in the IPL, securing a price of Rs 27 crore.  Following him were Shreyas Iyer at Rs 26.75 crore and Venkatesh Iyer at Rs 23.75 crore.  In a surprising turn of events, several well-known players, including David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, and Shardul Thakur, did not receive any bids and went unsold.