The Indian Premier League (IPL) is back with its 18th season, and cricket fans across India are buzzing with excitement. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally released the full schedule for IPL 2025, promising two months of thrilling action. The tournament kicks off on March 22, 2025, and will wrap up with the grand final on May 25, 2025. With 10 teams, 74 matches, and some big captaincy changes, this season is set to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Here’s everything you need to know about IPL 2025, from key matches to playoff venues, in simple and easy language.
When and Where Does IPL 2025 Start?
The IPL 2025 season begins on March 22 with a blockbuster clash between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The match will take place at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, a stadium known for its electric atmosphere. KKR, who won the title in 2024, will look to start strong under their new captain, Ajinkya Rahane. Meanwhile, RCB, led by a fresh face in the captaincy role, will aim to break their title drought this year.
The tournament will run for over two months, ending with the final on May 25 at the same venue—Eden Gardens. This marks the first time in 10 years that Kolkata will host the IPL final, making it a special moment for the city’s cricket fans.
Big Changes in Team Leadership
This season brings some exciting captaincy switches. Kolkata Knight Riders have replaced Shreyas Iyer with Ajinkya Rahane, a seasoned player from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. Rahane’s calm leadership will be key as KKR defends their title. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer has moved to Punjab Kings (PBKS) as their new captain after a massive ₹26.75 crore deal in the auction. His aggressive style could turn PBKS into a strong contender.
Royal Challengers Bangalore also have a new captain, though the name hasn’t been officially revealed yet. Fans are eager to see who will step up to lead RCB, a team desperate for their first IPL trophy. Other notable transfers include Rishabh Pant joining Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a record-breaking ₹27 crore, shaking up the team dynamics.
How Are the Teams Divided?
IPL 2025 follows the same two-group format introduced when the league expanded to 10 teams. Here’s the breakdown:
- Group A: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
- Group B: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Delhi Capitals (DC), Gujarat Titans (GT), Mumbai Indians (MI), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Each team will play 14 matches in the league stage. They’ll face teams in their own group twice, one team from the other group twice, and the remaining four teams from the opposite group once. For example, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, despite being in different groups, will clash twice—once in Chennai and once in Mumbai—because of their historic rivalry.
Full IPL 2025 Match Schedule with Dates, Cities, and Timings
Here’s the complete list of matches for IPL 2025. Matches are scheduled at 7:30 PM IST, with double-header days featuring an afternoon game at 3:30 PM IST. The tournament will be held across 13 cities in India, including Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, and more.
March 2025 Matches
- March 22: KKR vs RCB – Kolkata (7:30 PM)
- March 23: SRH vs RR – Hyderabad (3:30 PM)
- March 23: CSK vs MI – Chennai (7:30 PM)
- March 24: DC vs LSG – Visakhapatnam (7:30 PM)
- March 25: GT vs PBKS – Ahmedabad (7:30 PM)
- March 26: RR vs KKR – Guwahati (7:30 PM)
- March 27: SRH vs LSG – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- March 28: CSK vs RCB – Chennai (7:30 PM)
- March 29: GT vs MI – Ahmedabad (7:30 PM)
- March 30: DC vs SRH – Visakhapatnam (3:30 PM)
- March 30: RR vs CSK – Guwahati (7:30 PM)
- March 31: MI vs KKR – Mumbai (7:30 PM)
April 2025 Matches
- April 1: LSG vs PBKS – Lucknow (7:30 PM)
- April 2: RCB vs GT – Bengaluru (7:30 PM)
- April 3: KKR vs SRH – Kolkata (7:30 PM)
- April 4: LSG vs MI – Lucknow (7:30 PM)
- April 5: CSK vs DC – Chennai (3:30 PM)
- April 5: PBKS vs RR – New Chandigarh (7:30 PM)
- April 6: KKR vs LSG – Kolkata (3:30 PM)
- April 6: SRH vs GT – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- April 7: MI vs RCB – Mumbai (7:30 PM)
- April 8: PBKS vs CSK – New Chandigarh (7:30 PM)
- April 9: GT vs RR – Ahmedabad (7:30 PM)
- April 10: RCB vs DC – Bengaluru (7:30 PM)
- April 11: CSK vs KKR – Chennai (7:30 PM)
- April 12: LSG vs GT – Lucknow (3:30 PM)
- April 12: SRH vs PBKS – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- April 13: RR vs RCB – Jaipur (3:30 PM)
- April 13: DC vs MI – Delhi (7:30 PM)
- April 14: LSG vs CSK – Lucknow (7:30 PM)
- April 15: PBKS vs KKR – New Chandigarh (7:30 PM)
- April 16: DC vs RR – Delhi (7:30 PM)
- April 17: MI vs SRH – Mumbai (7:30 PM)
- April 18: RCB vs PBKS – Bengaluru (7:30 PM)
- April 19: GT vs DC – Ahmedabad (3:30 PM)
- April 19: RR vs LSG – Jaipur (7:30 PM)
- April 20: PBKS vs RCB – New Chandigarh (3:30 PM)
- April 20: MI vs CSK – Mumbai (7:30 PM)
- April 21: KKR vs GT – Kolkata (7:30 PM)
- April 22: LSG vs DC – Lucknow (7:30 PM)
- April 23: SRH vs MI – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- April 24: RCB vs RR – Bengaluru (7:30 PM)
- April 25: CSK vs SRH – Chennai (7:30 PM)
- April 26: KKR vs PBKS – Kolkata (7:30 PM)
- April 27: MI vs LSG – Mumbai (3:30 PM)
- April 27: DC vs RCB – Delhi (7:30 PM)
- April 28: RR vs GT – Jaipur (7:30 PM)
- April 29: DC vs KKR – Delhi (7:30 PM)
- April 30: CSK vs PBKS – Chennai (7:30 PM)
May 2025 Matches
- May 1: RR vs MI – Jaipur (7:30 PM)
- May 2: GT vs SRH – Ahmedabad (7:30 PM)
- May 3: RCB vs CSK – Bengaluru (7:30 PM)
- May 4: KKR vs RR – Kolkata (3:30 PM)
- May 4: PBKS vs LSG – Dharamshala (7:30 PM)
- May 5: SRH vs DC – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- May 6: MI vs GT – Mumbai (7:30 PM)
- May 7: KKR vs CSK – Kolkata (7:30 PM)
- May 8: PBKS vs DC – Dharamshala (7:30 PM)
- May 9: LSG vs RCB – Lucknow (7:30 PM)
- May 10: SRH vs KKR – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- May 11: PBKS vs MI – Dharamshala (3:30 PM)
- May 11: DC vs GT – Delhi (7:30 PM)
- May 12: CSK vs RR – Chennai (7:30 PM)
- May 13: RCB vs SRH – Bengaluru (7:30 PM)
- May 14: GT vs LSG – Ahmedabad (7:30 PM)
- May 15: MI vs DC – Mumbai (7:30 PM)
- May 16: RR vs PBKS – Jaipur (7:30 PM)
- May 17: RCB vs KKR – Bengaluru (7:30 PM)
- May 18: GT vs CSK – Ahmedabad (3:30 PM)
- May 18: LSG vs SRH – Lucknow (7:30 PM)
Playoffs
- May 20: Qualifier 1 – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- May 21: Eliminator – Hyderabad (7:30 PM)
- May 23: Qualifier 2 – Kolkata (7:30 PM)
- May 25: Final – Kolkata (7:30 PM)
Double-Header Days to Watch Out For
IPL 2025 will feature 12 double-header days, where two matches are played—one in the afternoon (3:30 PM) and one in the evening (7:30 PM). The first double-header is on March 23, with SRH vs RR followed by CSK vs MI. Other big double-header days include April 5 (CSK vs DC and PBKS vs RR) and May 11 (PBKS vs MI and DC vs GT). These days are perfect for fans who want non-stop cricket action.
Playoff Venues and Format
The playoffs will be split between Hyderabad and Kolkata. Here’s how it works:
- Qualifier 1 (May 20): Top two teams from the league stage battle it out in Hyderabad. The winner goes straight to the final.
- Eliminator (May 21): Third and fourth-placed teams fight in Hyderabad, with the loser going home.
- Qualifier 2 (May 23): The Qualifier 1 loser takes on the Eliminator winner in Kolkata for a spot in the final.
- Final (May 25): The two best teams face off at Eden Gardens to lift the IPL 2025 trophy.
Hyderabad hosting the first two playoff matches is a fresh twist, while Kolkata gets the spotlight for the decisive games.
Cities Hosting IPL 2025 Matches
The tournament will span 13 cities, blending iconic stadiums with secondary venues:
- Kolkata (Eden Gardens)
- Hyderabad (Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium)
- Chennai (MA Chidambaram Stadium)
- Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium)
- Bengaluru (M Chinnaswamy Stadium)
- Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium)
- Ahmedabad (Narendra Modi Stadium)
- Jaipur (Sawai Mansingh Stadium)
- Lucknow (Ekana Cricket Stadium)
- New Chandigarh (Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium)
- Visakhapatnam (ACA-VDCA Stadium)
- Guwahati (Barsapara Stadium)
- Dharamshala (HPCA Stadium)
Teams like Punjab Kings (New Chandigarh and Dharamshala), Rajasthan Royals (Jaipur and Guwahati), and Delhi Capitals (Delhi and Visakhapatnam) will split their home games across two venues, adding variety to the schedule.
Why IPL 2025 Will Be Special
With 74 matches, including 70 league games and 4 playoffs, IPL 2025 promises non-stop entertainment. The mix of new captains, big-money transfers like Pant and Iyer, and the return of classic rivalries like CSK vs MI make this season a must-watch. Plus, the final at Eden Gardens after a decade adds a nostalgic touch for KKR fans. Whether you’re rooting for your home team or just love T20 cricket, IPL 2025 has something for everyone. Keep an eye on the schedule and plan your match days!
