IPL 2025: Complete Schedule, Format, Key Matches And More

In 2025, the IPL is back with a bang as it embarks on its 18th season of explosive T20 action. The tournament will take place across 13 venues in India from March 22 to May 25 between 10 teams. The tournament will run for one month between October and November, with 74 matches, including 13 double-headers for the fans.

Tournament Overview

• Season Dates: March 22, 2025 – May 25, 2025
• Teams: 10
• Matches: 74
• Venues: 13 across India

Opening Match and Venue Information

The season opener will be played on March 22 in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The tournament opener and final on May 25 will be held at Eden Gardens, which has a 68,000 capacity. It will be the third time that Eden Gardens will host the IPL final, its previous two stints coming in 2013 and 2015.

Tournament Format

The format for IPL 2025 remains as follows:

Group Stage: Ten teams will be split into two groups of five. All teams play 14 matches—playing the other four in their own group home and away, the team in the same row of the opposite group home and away, and the remaining four opposite group teams once.

Points System: Teams earn points based on wins to finish a unified points table in the top four to qualify for the playoffs.

Qualifier 1: The top two teams face off; the winner advances straight to the final

Eliminator: The third and fourth-placed teams face off; the loser is out

Qualifier 2: The loser of Qualifier 1 plays the winner of the Eliminator; the winner reaches the final.

This allows teams to have several chances to advance to the finals, keeping competition and intrigue until the very end of the tourney.

The timings of the matches are as given below:

• Afternoon Matches: 3:30 PM IST (10:00 AM GMT)
• Evening Matches: 7:30 PM IST (2:00 PM GMT)

13 double-header days allow fans to catch an additional match on certain weekends.

Noteworthy Player Movements & Auctions

Big bids transformed rosters in the November 2024 player auction:

Rishabh Pant: Signed by Lucknow Super Giants for $3.21 million, the highest ever for a player in IPL. Pant will captain the side and replace KL Rahul.

Shreyas Iyer: Signed ₹24 crore with Punjab Kings | Also becomes team captain.

Jos Buttler: The wicketkeeper-batsman from England was acquired by Gujarat Titans for $1.4 million and has been a big hitter in batting units.

Jofra Archer: Rajasthan Royals signed the England pacer for $1.2 million after settling contractual issues with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

These signings indicate the franchises’ attempts to fill out their rosters with seasoned and up-and-coming players.

Complete Match Schedule

Below is the detailed schedule for IPL 2025: