IPL 2025: Start Date Major Updates and Highlights: The hotly contested 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to amaze cricket lovers worldwide. From the schedule to changes in leadership, here are some major updates.
Dates and Venues of the Season
The 2025 IPL will start on March 21. The first match will be played at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The season will see 74 games. The grand finale of IPL will be held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on May 25.
This year’s schedule is prepared strategically to not clash with international fixtures. Mainly the ICC Champions Trophy, as to guarantee cricketers’ availability throughout the tournament.
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Opening and Finals at Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens, a historic cricket venue in India, played host to the start and finish of this season in the IPL. Both the opening game and the final will be held at this highly regarded cricket pitch. This sums up a great occasion for the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). A replica of their previous success lies in winning the trophy in front of their home crowd.
Team Updates: Shreyas Iyer Takes Over as Captain at Punjab Kings
There has been a significant change in leadership with Shreyas Iyer ceremoniously appointed as the new captain of Punjab Kings. With his calm and tactical shrewdness in strategic matters, every fan is eagerly waiting to see how Iyer leads with stability and directions given to the team.
Iyer’s leadership should bring much-yearned stability to, and clear pathways clear for, the Punjab Kings. They have become the strugglers for consistency in recent history, to lift their first IPL title under his supervision. Indeed, his captaining skills are the spark any Punjab fan has been waiting for.
Schedule and Format for Matches
The tournament follows through with the same model as in the previous years, with 10 teams being divided into two groups. Each team happens to be playing a combination of home and away matches in what promises to make for a very entertaining and competitive league phase.
The league features 74 matches, including 70 league matches and four playoff matches, with the big tournament finals to be scheduled on May 25 and teams leading into the World Test Championship final.
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Managing Workload Issues
Keeping in mind that they have other commitments to fulfill on the international stage, the Governing Council of the IPL has decided to stick with the 74 matches that worked well last year and has underlined the importance of an integrated system for workload management, including a complete view across the franchises.
