The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the tentative schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, set to kick off on March 14 and conclude on May 25. This timeline ensures players have adequate preparation time for the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2025.
IPL 2025 to Feature 74 Matches
Despite earlier discussions of expanding the tournament to 84 matches, the BCCI has decided to maintain the current 74-match format. The revised early start date aims to accommodate international cricket obligations and avoid scheduling conflicts.
The BCCI has also finalized dates for the 2026 and 2027 IPL seasons. IPL 2026 will run from March 15 to May 31, while the 20th edition in 2027 is scheduled from March 14 to May 30. Cricket boards worldwide have been notified to ensure smooth player availability.
Player Availability and IPL 2025 Mega Auction Updates
Cricket Australia (CA) has cleared players for IPL 2025, although a clash with an ODI series against Pakistan will delay their participation in IPL 2026 until March 18. For 2027, Australian and English players will join post a commemorative Test match.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed the availability of 18 centrally contracted players for the next three IPL seasons, excluding Test captain Ben Stokes, who has opted out of the IPL 2025 mega-auction, scheduled for November 24–25 in Jeddah.
Players from South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan are fully available, while Bangladesh has shared a limited roster of 13 players with restricted availability.
