The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will reportedly get underway on March 22 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, with the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hosting Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the tournament opener. Though the BCCI has yet to release the final schedule of IPL 2025, several updates on top teams have made headlines—check them out.

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RCB, who announced their new captain – Rajat Patidar, on Thursday (Feb 13), will face off the hosts in a cracker of a contest, while last year’s runners-up, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), will host Rajasthan Royals the next afternoon at home.

Also read | IPL 2025: ‘Virat Kohli doesn’t need captaincy…,’ RCB’s director of cricket Mo Bobat

Cricbuzz first reported that the IPL will continue to follow an old tradition of the city (belonging to the winner of the previous edition) hosting the curtain raiser for the next season; as a result, the iconic Eden Gardens will host the first match of IPL 2025. Besides, the same venue will host the season finale on Sunday (May 25).

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Meanwhile, after the January 12 Special General Meeting (SGM) in Mumbai, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla revealed the forthcoming season of the IPL will begin on March 23; however, the board seemed to have revised the dates. The BCCI might release the full schedule of IPL 2025 in a day or two.

What’s more?

Outside of the ten cities that will host matches, including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Mullanpur, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, Guwahati and Dharamsala will stage a few matches this season. Guwahati will host two games (of the Rajasthan Royals) with the Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings being the opponents on March 26 and 30, respectively.

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On the other hand, Dharamsala will host a few games this season, with the latest report suggesting that the venue might stage three matches in IPL 2025, one more than the previous edition.

Moreover, Hyderabad will host Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator, while the Eden Gardens will stage Qualifier 2 and the summit clash.

(With inputs from agencies)