Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening match of IPL 2025, as per a report by Cricbuzz. The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League was originally scheduled to begin on March 14 with KKR taking on SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).
According to the report, the tournament will now commence on March 22. As per tradition, KKR will play the first game as the defending champions, with Eden Gardens in Kolkata set to host the season opener. They will take on RCB, who recently appointed Rajat Patidar as their new captain on Thursday, February 13.
Meanwhile, SRH, last season’s runners-up, will play their first match of the 2025 season at home. Hyderabad will face Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. While the full schedule is yet to be officially released by the BCCI, it is expected to be announced soon.
However, according to the report, the board has already informed franchises about key match dates. Earlier, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla had hinted that the 2025 season would begin on March 23, but the board now seems to have revised the dates.
IPL 2025 Final to Be Held in Kolkata on May 25
The report further stated that the IPL 2025 final is scheduled for May 25, with the defending champions’ home ground traditionally hosting the title clash. As a result, Eden Gardens in Kolkata will serve as the venue for the final. In addition to the championship match, Kolkata will also host Qualifier 2, while Hyderabad will stage the first Qualifier and the Eliminator.
The report also mentioned that in addition to the 10 regular venues—Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Mullanpur, Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad, and Kolkata—some IPL 2025 matches will be held in Guwahati and Dharamsala.
Guwahati will serve as Rajasthan Royals’ second home venue, hosting their games on March 26 and 30. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will play two of their home matches in Dharamsala.
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