The IPL is back for 2025, with every game live on Sky Sports.
Seventy-four matches, 10 English players involved – but not Harry Brook – plenty of other cricketing superstars including Virat Kohli, Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada and a 13-year-old potentially in action.
Here is all you need to know ahead of the new season, which starts on Saturday (2pm first ball UK and Ireland) as defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders face Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Jos Buttler will play for Gujarat Titans this season
When does the IPL take place?
From Saturday March 22 to Sunday May 25, with the season starting and beginning at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Knight Riders – who beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 final to claim their third title and first in a decade – will hope to be playing at their home ground in this year’s final at the end of May and ultimately become the first team to win back-to-back editions of the IPL since Mumbai Indians in 2020.
Who are the 10 IPL teams?
- Chennai Super Kings (winners in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023)
- Delhi Capitals (yet to win the IPL)
- Gujarat Titans (winners in 2022)
- Kolkata Knight Riders (winners in 2012, 2014 and 2024)
- Lucknow Super Giants (yet to win IPL)
- Mumbai Indians (winners in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020)
- Punjab Kings (yet to win IPL)
- Rajasthan Royals (winners in 2008)
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (yet to win IPL)
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (winners in 2016)
Highlights from the 2024 IPL final as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad to win their third title and first since 2014
How does the competition work?
There are 70 group matches before the top four teams in the table advance to the play-offs.
That’s the simple bit. Now for the more complicated stuff.
In the league phase, the 10 franchises are split into two groups of five, although there is only one table.
Teams face the other four sides in their group twice, once at home and once away. They also play four teams from the other pool once and one twice. Franchises earn two points for a win, none for a loss and one in the event of no result.
Will Virat Kohli help Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a maiden IPL title?
The teams that finish first and second advance to the first qualifier, with the winner of that match progressing directly to the final and the losers dropping into the second qualifier.
The eliminator between the sides who finish third and fourth in the table will then take place, with the winners reaching the second qualifier and the losers knocked out.
The winners of the eliminator and the losers of the first qualifier will then meet in the second qualifier. The victors in that match take the second spot in the final.
Got all that?!
Er, I think that makes sense… So, which English players are involved?
Back to something easy!
There are 10 English players, including the now former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler, with the batter snapped up for £1.4m by Gujarat in the auction after being released by Rajasthan.
England fast bowler Jofra Archer will turn out for Rajasthan Royals in 2025
Fast bowler Jofra Archer will feature for Rajasthan, while ex-England all-rounder Moeen Ali is on Kolkata’s books and Sam Curran and Jamie Overton are with Chennai.
RCB have three England internationals on their roster – two destructive batters who bowl a bit of spin in Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell, and opener Phil Salt.
Batter Will Jacks and left-arm seamer Reece Topley – both of whom are out of favour with England – are in the Mumbai Indians squad.
England’s Phil Salt is a contender to open the batting for RCB
Where is Harry Brook?
He pulled out from a deal with Delhi Capitals for the second season running, citing prioritising his England commitments for this year’s withdrawal after opting out of the 2024 edition following the death of his grandmother.
Brook’s latest pull-out could see him banned from the IPL for two years under new rules, with that stipulation brought into place after the 10 franchises became frustrated at overseas players reneging on deals shortly before the tournament.
Brook’s international team-mate Brydon Carse was also set to play in the IPL, for Sunrisers, but a toe injury has kiboshed that contract, while England’s record Test wicket-taker James Anderson went unsold in the auction.
England’s Harry Brook has pulled out of the IPL and could now face a two-year ban from the tournament
Which players could light up the tournament?
A host of India’s Champions Trophy-winning group will probably fire, including Kohli (RCB), Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians), Shubman Gill (Gujarat), Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai), Axar Patel (Delhi), Varun Chakravarthy (Kolkata), Shreyas Iyer (Punjab) and Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers).
Chennai veteran MS Dhoni, 43, could feature in his final IPL – although we have been saying that for years and he keeps on going – while Abhishek Sharma, of Sunrisers, will be looking to produce the sort of fireworks that saw him crunch 135 from 54 balls for India against England in a T20 international earlier this year.
Watch the best shots from Rachin Ravindra’s century for New Zealand against South Africa in the Champions Trophy semi-final
Overseas imports include Australia’s Glenn Maxwell (Punjab) and Travis Head (Sunrisers), South African pair Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers) and Marco Jansen (Punjab), Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan (Gujarat) and Azmatullah Omarzai (Punjab), and New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra (Chennai) and Glenn Phillips (Gujarat).
Ravindra was the top run-scorer at the recent Champions Trophy as the Black Caps made the final, while team-mate Phillips took three jaw-dropping catches in the field.
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips took three outstanding catches during the ICC Champions Trophy – but which one was the best?
And, finally, who is this 13-year-old prospect?
Indian Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest player bought in an IPL auction after being selected by Rajasthan for £105,000, weeks on from smashing a 58-ball hundred for India U19s against Australia U19s in an unofficial Test in Chennai.
He has since hit U19 half-centuries against Sri Lanka and UAE as well as 71 off 42 balls for Bihar against Broda in India’s domestic 50-over competition. Suryavanshi will turn the ripe old age of 14 on March 27.
Indian Premier League fixtures 2025
All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports
Saturday March 22: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2pm)
Sunday March 23: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals (10am)
Sunday March 23: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians (2pm)
Monday March 24: Delhi Capitals vs Lucknow Super Giants (2pm)
Tuesday March 25: Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings (2pm)
Wednesday March 26: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (2pm)
Thursday March 27: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants (2pm)
Friday March 28: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2pm)
Saturday March 29: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians (2pm)
Sunday March 30: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (11am)
Sunday March 30: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings (3pm)
Monday March 31: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (3pm)
Tuesday April 1: Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings (3pm)
Wednesday April 2: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans (3pm)
Thursday April 3: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (3pm)
Friday April 4: Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians (3pm)
Saturday April 5: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals (11am)
Saturday April 5: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (3pm)
Sunday April 6: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants (11am)
Sunday April 6: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Titans (3pm)
Monday April 7: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (3pm)
Tuesday April 8: Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings (3pm)
Wednesday April 9: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals (3pm)
Thursday April 10: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals (3pm)
Friday April 11: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders (3pm)
Saturday April 12: Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans (11am)
Saturday April 12: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings (3pm)
Sunday April 13: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (11am)
Sunday April 13: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians (3pm)
Monday April 14: Lucknow Super Giants vs Chennai Super Kings (3pm)
Tuesday April 15: Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders (3pm)
Wednesday April 16: Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals (3pm)
Thursday April 17: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (3pm)
Friday April 18: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings (3pm)
Saturday April 19: Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals (11am)
Saturday April 19: Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants (3pm)
Sunday April 20: Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (11am)
Sunday April 20: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings (3pm)
Monday April 21: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans (3pm)
Tuesday April 22: Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals (3pm)
Wednesday April 23: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians (3pm)
Thursday April 24: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Rajasthan Royals (3pm)
Friday April 25: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (3pm)
Saturday April 26: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings (3pm)
Sunday April 27: Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants (11am)
Sunday April 27: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (3pm)
Monday April 28: Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans (3pm)
Tuesday April 29: Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (3pm)
Wednesday April 30: Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings (3pm)
Thursday May 1: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians (3pm)
Friday May 2: Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (3pm)
Saturday May 3: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings (3pm)
Sunday May 4: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals (11am)
Sunday May 4: Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants (3pm)
Monday May 5: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals (3pm)
Tuesday May 6: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans (3pm)
Wednesday May 7: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings (3pm)
Thursday May 8: Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals (3pm)
Friday May 9: Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (3pm)
Saturday May 10: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders (3pm)
Sunday May 11: Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians (11am)
Sunday May 11: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans (3pm)
Monday May 12: Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (3pm)
Tuesday May 13: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (3pm)
Wednesday May 14: Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants (3pm)
Tuesday May 15: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals (3pm)
Friday May 16: Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings (3pm)
Saturday May 17: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders (3pm)
Sunday May 18: Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings (11am)
Sunday May 18: Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (3pm)
Tuesday May 20: Qualifier 1 – 1st vs 2nd (3pm)
Wednesday May 21: Eliminator – 3rd vs 4th (3pm)
Friday May 23: Qualifier 2 – Loser of Qualifier 1 vs winner of Eliminator (3pm)
Sunday May 25: Final – TBC vs TBC (3pm)
Watch all 74 matches from the 2025 IPL live on Sky Sports Cricket, starting with the opener between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday March 22 (1.50pm on air, 2pm first ball) and concluding with the final on Sunday May 25.
