A few days ago, the IPL mega auction took place in Saudi Arabia, and following the excitement of the event, the start date for the IPL 2025 season has now been confirmed. The much-anticipated tournament will begin after the ICC Champions Trophy.
The Champions Trophy final is scheduled for March 9, and IPL 2025 will kick off on March 21. The tournament, lasting nearly two months, will conclude with the final on May 25. Both the opening match and the final will be held at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, as confirmed by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla following a special BCCI meeting on Sunday.
Earlier reports had suggested that IPL 2025 would start on March 14, with the final taking place on May 25. However, the schedule has been slightly revised, with the start date now moved a week later, allowing for a brief break after the Champions Trophy before the IPL kicks off.
As per IPL tradition, the opening match is played at the venue of the reigning champions. Since Kolkata Knight Riders are the current champions, the opening match of IPL 2025 will be at Eden Gardens. The second qualifier and the final will also take place there, while the first qualifier and eliminator will be held at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, the home of the previous season’s runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad.
This season, there will be a total of 74 matches, and the final schedule is expected to be announced later this month. In the mega auction held in November in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the franchises spent a staggering 639.15 crore rupees on players.
A total of 182 players were bought, including 62 foreign players, while 395 players remained unsold. Notably, big names like Jonny Bairstow, David Warner, Kane Williamson, and Daryl Mitchell went without a team. Additionally, no IPL franchise showed interest in any Bangladeshi players during the auction.
