Will IPL and PSL schedules clash again this year?

Indian Premier League (IPL), which was initially announced to get a start on March 26 this year, has reportedly postponed its opener two days later to March 28. 

Same window, but different opening date

With the Pakistan Super League (PSL) also begininning on March 26, the two leagues were earlier set to kick off on the same date. that is not the case anymore. However, both leagues will still run concurrently within the same March-May window.

PSL’s 11th edition is likely to conclude with its final in the first week of May, roughly three weeks before the reported IPL final on May 31.

2025 seasons clashed similarly

This will be the second year in a row that two of the sport’s biggest franchise leagues will compete for eyeballs in the same time window. Last year, the original IPL window of March 22 to May 25 clashed with PSL, which was initially set to play from April 11 to May 10. In doing so, PSL became the first franchise league to run during the same time as IPL. This year, the overlap is set to be even longer.

Both tournaments suffered an unexpected temporary halt, from May 9 to May 15 last season, due to a brief military stand-off between Pakistan and India. This saw the IPL finish on June 3 and the PSL on May 25.

Why is PSL being played in IPL’s window?

PSL has historically been staged during the January-February window. However, due to the Champions Trophy last year and the T20 World Cup this year taking that window, the league was forced to ink a May to March timeframe.

With two new teams joining the league, the upcoming season will be the longest in PSL history, as confirmed by the management. The edition could last for as many as 44 games across six venues, including Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, and Karachi. 

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