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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will run from March 22 to May 25. The 18th season of the T20 extravaganza will see ten teams clash in 74 matches across 12 venues.
Opening fixture and marquee clashes
The season will launch with a high-voltage showdown between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on March 22, setting the stage for two months of thrilling cricket. The following day, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will host Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, marking the first double-header weekend.
Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are slated to play their inaugural home game against arc-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 23 under the lights at MA Chidambaram Stadium. This marquee evening clash between two of the league’s most successful franchises is expected to draw massive viewership.
Details for the playoffs and the final
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi Stadium has been awarded hosting rights for Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator, while Kolkata’s Eden Gardens will stage the final on May 25. This marks Eden Gardens’ return as a finale venue after nearly a decade, with the stadium last hosting the title decider in 2013.
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Team-specific venue strategies
In a strategic shift, Delhi Capitals (DC) will split their home games between Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium and Visakhapatnam’s ACA-VDCA Stadium, a move aimed at expanding their regional fanbase. Similarly, Rajasthan Royals (RR) plan to host two matches at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium, revisiting a venue where they’ve previously enjoyed robust support.
Overall, the 2025 season will utilize 12 stadiums, the most in IPL history, including returning and debutant venues:
- Mullanpur’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium (Punjab Kings’ secondary home ground)
- Dharamsala’s HPCA Stadium (last used in IPL 2019)
- Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati (RR’s alternate base)
Other mainstay venues include Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium and Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, which remains on standby for Qualifier 2.
Full list of venues for the IPL 2025:
- Ahmedabad (Narendra Modi Stadium)
- Bengaluru (M Chinnaswamy Stadium)
- Chennai (MA Chidambaram Stadium)
- Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium)
- Hyderabad (Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium)
- Jaipur (Sawai Mansingh Stadium)
- Kolkata (Eden Gardens)
- Lucknow (BRSABV Ekana Stadium)
- Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium)
- Mullanpur (Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium)
- Guwahati (Barsapara Stadium)
- Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium)
