The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will start on March 14, 2025. This is a change from last season, when the tournament started on March 22. However, there isn’t much difference when it comes to the final. In 2024, it was played on May 26; this time it’s going to be scheduled for May 25. Despite an extra week being added, the number of matches will remain the same, 74.
This is a slight contraction to previous IPL plans. In 2022, when the media rights for the 2025-27 season were sold, 84 matches were to be played in the IPL 2025 season. But, so far, the number of games hasn’t increased.
Dates for IPL 2025, 26 & 27 out
According to ESPNcrincinfo, it isn’t just that the dates for the 18th season of the IPL have been revealed. But, interestingly, the dates for the next two editions are also out. The 2026 season of the IPL will be played between March 15 and May 31, with the number of games increased to 84, while the 2027 season will be between March 14 and May 30, with 94 games scheduled.
Boards give green light to IPL
All the full member boards, barring the Pakistan Cricket Board, who can’t send their players, have agreed to make their players available for the next three seasons of the IPL. Cricket Australia (CA) has ensured that their players are available for the 2026 season, as they play an ODI series in Pakistan that concludes on March 18, three days after the 19th edition starts. But since the 2026 T20 World Cup will be played in February-March, it’s expected all the main Australian players will be available, as CA will likely send their second-string side to Pakistan while their main players rest.
In 2027, England and Australia will play a one-off Test match in March to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket. The dates for the match aren’t out yet, but if it were to coincide with IPL 2027, the players from both nations will join after the match.
