In a groundbreaking decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed the dates for the next three IPL seasons. Notably, the 2025 season will take place from March 14 (Friday) to May 25 (Sunday).
Additionally, the BCCI has shared the schedules for the following two seasons, which were officially communicated to the franchises on Friday morning.
This early announcement represents a significant departure from previous years, when the BCCI and IPL officials typically waited until the last moment to release the schedule. The reason for this change is clear: the league now operates within a well-defined international window.
The 2025 season will feature 74 matches, consistent with the last three seasons. However, this is 10 fewer than the 84 matches originally planned by the IPL in 2022 when the media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle were sold.
In the tender document for the new rights cycle, the IPL outlined a fluctuating number of matches per season: 74 games each in 2023 and 2024, 84 matches in 2025 and 2026, and a maximum of 94 games in 2027, the final year of the deal.
BCCI announces that Archer will be available
The BCCI has confirmed that Jofra Archer will be available for the entire season. The English bowler, born in Barbados and regarded as a high-impact player in the league, has made himself available for all three seasons in the current cycle.
Although Archer did not respond to a query from Cricbuzz, he is listed at the very end of the auction register. Despite possibly hoping for a spot in the marquee set, Archer is listed as Player No. 575. This means his name will appear during the accelerated phase after the first 116 players have been auctioned.
While the BCCI has not disclosed his base price, sources indicate Archer has set it at the highest INR 2 crore bracket. In addition to Archer, two other players—Saurabh Netravalkar (USA, No. 576) and Hardik Tamore (MCA, No. 577)—have also been added to the register.
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