KKR and RCB to kick off IPL 2025 season on March 22

The 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to begin on Saturday, March 22, 2025. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will begin their title defense at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), led by their new captain, Rajat Patidar.

The following day, on Sunday, March 23, last season’s runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), will also get to start their journey at home. They will play against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal.

Final Set for May 25 at Eden Gardens

The BCCI hasn't officially announced the full schedule yet, but sources say key match dates have been shared with the franchises. The final will be held on Sunday, May 25, at Eden Gardens, following the tradition of hosting it in the reigning champions' city.

The IPL was initially scheduled to kick off on March 23, as shared by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla during a meeting on January 12. But, following some requests from broadcasters, the start date has been moved to March 22. The full schedule will be out shortly.

New Venues and Expanded Host Cities

This season's IPL matches will be played in 12 cities, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Mullanpur, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Two more cities, Guwahati and Dharamsala, will also host games.

• Guwahati makes its IPL debut as Rajasthan Royals' second home venue. They will play two evening matches, facing Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and Chennai Super Kings on March 30.
• Dharamsala, which hosted Punjab Kings’ home matches last season, is set to stage at least two games, possibly adding a third.

The playoffs will be in two cities:

• Hyderabad will host Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator.
• Kolkata will stage Qualifier 2 and the Final.

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