Great news for cricket fans worldwide! The dates for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 have been announced. This time, the tournament will begin on March 21. The Vice President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rajeev Shukla, confirmed the dates. Speaking to news agency ANI after the BCCI’s Special General Meeting (SGM) in Mumbai, he revealed that the inaugural match is scheduled for March 23. However, a senior member of the governing council clarified that the tournament could start on March 20 or 21.
When is the final?
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the tournament will kick off on March 21, and the final is set to take place on May 25. In IPL 2024, the season started on March 22 with a match between RCB and CSK, and the final was held on May 26, where KKR lifted the trophy. This year, the final match will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Key decisions in the BCCI meeting
Today’s BCCI meeting also brought several major announcements, including the appointment of a new treasurer and secretary. Devajit Saikia has been named as the new secretary, while Prabhtej Singh Bhatia has been appointed as the treasurer. Clarity on the venues for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has also emerged. Additionally, IPL has announced the appointment of a new commissioner for one year. The next meeting, scheduled for January 18 and 19, will focus on finalizing the team for the Champions Trophy.
Also Read- IPL 2025: Will RCB Name Rajat Patidar as Captain, Replacing Virat Kohli?
Auction held in Saudi Arabia
The mega IPL 2025 auction was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, over two days, where a total of 182 players were sold for a combined total of 639.15 crore rupees. Most of the 10 teams focused on strengthening their squads after retaining their core players. Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history, selling for 27 crore rupees, followed by Shreyas Iyer at 26.75 crore rupees and Venkatesh Iyer at 23.75 crore rupees. Meanwhile, players like David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, and Shardul Thakur went unsold as no bids were made for them.
