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March 22, 2025e-Paper
Updated – March 22, 2025 09:59 pm IST
RCB opener Phil Salt plays a shot during the IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolakta on March 22, 2025. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Led by new captains Ajinkya Rahane and Rajat Patidar, defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, meet in the much-awaited Indian Premier League-18 season opener at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday (March 22, 2025).
New rules and new captains will be in focus but the razzmatazz will be pretty much the same when the 18th Indian Premier League kicks off in Kolkata amid a looming threat of rain.
There is plenty to look forward in the league. Among the most prominent rule changes is the lifting of saliva ban. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, bowlers will be allowed to use it to shine the ball.
The BCCI lifted the ban after receiving a majority consensus from IPL captains in a landmark decision taken at the captains’ meeting in Mumbai.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had made the saliva ban permanent in 2022, but the IPL operates under its own regulations and the latest move could set a precedent for the global game.
The 18th season will also witness tactical innovations, including a major change to counter dew’s impact.
Kolkata Knight Riders : Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (capt) Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Spencer Johnson
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt (wk), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (capt), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma , Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
The Indian Premier League (IPL) will witness a ball change early on in the second half of a 7.30 pm start game this edition. The amendment has been introduced in a bid to reduce the impact of dew and make the matches a level-playing field for the bowlers.
After the 11th over of the chase, the ball will be replaced with a scruffed-yet-dry one. The IPL and BCCI executives confirmed the addition to the playing conditions during the IPL captains’ meeting at the BCCI headquarters here on Thursday.
IPL introduces ball change in second innings to negate dew impact
New rules and new captains will be in focus but the razzmatazz will be pretty much the same when the 18th Indian Premier League kicks off in Kolkata on Saturday (March 22, 2025) with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders taking on perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bengaluru amid a looming threat of rain.
There is plenty to look forward in the league. Among the most prominent rule changes is the lifting of saliva ban. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, bowlers will be allowed to use it to shine the ball.
IPL 2025: Full schedule, full squad of participating teams
The Indian Premier League 2025 season kicks off its 18th season on Saturday (March 22, 2025) with defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The KKR home ground is also set to host the final game on May 25, 2025.
IPL 2025 schedule: Full list of match dates, timing and venue
Chasing a target of 175, RCB openers raced away to a splendid start with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt adding 80 runs in just 6 overs. Phil Salt on 49 and Virat Kohli on 29 are at the crease.
Chasing a target of 175, Phil Salt smashed Varun Chakravarthy for 21 runs in his first over and RCB are 58 for no loss in four overs.
Chasing a target of 175, RCB openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli race away to a good start scoring 37 runs in just 3 overs.
After sent into bat, KKR lost Quinton de Kock early and Rahane and Narine added a century partnership for the second over. After the dismissal of Narine and Rahane, KKR lost its way and was restricted for 174 in 20 overs. Hazlewood and Krunal Pandya were the main wicket takers.
KKR are in a spot of bother now with the dismissal of Raghuvanshi and KKR are 169 for 7.
After a scintillating hundred run partnership for the second wicket, Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled things back and restricted KKR to 165 for 6 at the end of 18 overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders are losing wickets in a cluster. After an astounding century partnership between Rahane and Narine, KKR loses its way and lost wickets at regular intervals. KKR are 150 for 6.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru spinner Krunal Pandya struck another crucial blow removing Rinku Singh for just 12 runs. KKR are placed at 145 for 5 in 15 overs.
Krunal Pandya struck in the 13th over by removing Venkatesh Iyer for 6. KKR are 125 for 4. With this wicket, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are tightening the screws striking two crucial blows
After a brilliant half-century Ajinkya Rahane was removed by Krunal Pandya for 56 off 31 balls.
After losing Quinton de Kock early, Rahane and Narine started to make merry by adding 103 runs before Sunil Narine got out for a well-made 44. KKR are 107 for 2 in 10 overs.
After losing Quinton de Kock early, Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine started to move on from the fourth over and scored at will. Rahane scored the first half-century of the season.
After losing early wicket, Rahane and Narine started to play their shots and took KKR to 60 for 1 in 6 overs.
Rajat Patidar brought in Rasikh Salam for the fourth over but Rahane had other ideas by smashing him for 2 sixes and a boundary in the over. KKR 25 for 1 in four overs.
After a fantastic first over from Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal followed it up with a brilliant first over giving just 1 run. KKR are 5 for 1 at the end of two overs.
After opting to bowl first, Josh Hazlewood bowled a brilliant short-pitched ball to Quinton de Kock but Suyash Sharma dropped a sitter but off the next ball Hazlewood struck by removing de Kock. KKR 4 for 1.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first in the opening match of the IPL 2025 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Shah Rukh delighted the audience when he invited Virat Kohli and Rinku Singh of RCB and KKR respectively on stage and engaged them in a lively conversation before shaking a leg with both.
Kohli, who has played in all the 18 editions of the IPL, was felicitated with a memento.
Display of the IPL trophy followed by the cutting of a specially designed cake, to celebrate the 18th edition of the league, in the presence of KKR and RCB captains, Ajinkya Rahane and Rajat Patidar, and top BCCI officials completed the glamorous precursor. — Sarangi
Kolkata: Artists perform during the opening ceremony of Indian Premier League 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) (PTI03_22_2025_000210B)
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, left, claps as Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli reacts before the opening Indian Premier League cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League opened with a spectacular show of light and sound at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.
As morning rains made way for a pleasant evening, thousands of fans thronged the Eden well before the actual start of the opening match.
The appearance of superstar Shah Rukh Khan in smart black attire wowed the spectators. The fans were absolutely thrilled as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ co-owner waved at them and addressed them, terming the IPL “the greatest cricketing event in the world.”
Popular Bollywood and Punjabi numbers sung by singers Shreya Ghoshal and Karan Aujla and dance performances by actress Disha Patani entertained the fans.
Amalgamation of lights and fireworks captivated the house before the league kicked off with the contest between defending champion KKR and Royal Challengers’ Bengaluru. — Y.B. Sarangi
ICC chairman Jay Shah on Saturday (March 22, 2025) confirmed that the Sourav Ganguly-led Cricket Committee will take a final call on the proposed revamp of the World Test Championship for the 2025-27 cycle next month.
The 16-member Cricket Committee is headed by former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and includes former cricketers VVS Laxman, Daniel Vettori, Mahela Jayawardene, and Shaun Pollock, among others.
“Proposals have come in, but I am not fully aware of them. The Cricket Committee will make the decision,” Shah, who is here for the IPL 2025 opener, told PTI.
The ICC is reportedly considering a significant overhaul of the WTC points system after receiving feedback on two completed cycles.
Among the proposals is to create a bonus points system to reward dominant victories and additional incentives for away wins. The ICC Board will deliberate on these modifications in its April meeting.
Under the current system, teams earn 12 points for a win (regardless of margin), 6 points for a tie, and 4 points for a draw.
However, critics argue that this format does not adequately reward commanding performances. The revised system is expected to factor in the margin of victory and the strength of opponents.
The ICC is exploring the possibility of awarding extra points for convincing wins to encourage teams to push for outright results rather than settling for narrow victories.
The long-standing debate over a two-tier Test system, strongly backed by Cricket Australia, is also expected to resurface.
While the backers argue that it would improve competitiveness, concerns remain that it could further marginalise lower-ranked teams, limiting their opportunities to grow and compete at the highest level.
South Africa and Australia are set to face off in the WTC 2025-27 final on June 11. — PTI
India will host the West Indies after 12 years in a two-match Test series in October while South Africa will arrive in the country for an all-format tour in November.
India will take on the Windies in the first Test at Mohali from October 2, while the second Test will be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from October 10, the BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla informed PTI.
The West Indies’ previous Test tour to India was in 2013-14, which was also the final international outing for batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.
The Caribbeans’ last visit to India was in 2022 for three ODIs and as many T20Is.
The South Africans will be in India soon after for a series comprising two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is, which will work as a precursor to next the year’s T20 World Cup on these shores.
“The first Test will be in Delhi, while the second Test will be in Guwahati,” said Shukla.
This will be the maiden Test in Guwahati, which often hosts white ball matches, and has also been hosting IPL matches for the last two seasons.
Following the Test matches, the first ODI will be held in Ranchi on November 30, while Raipur will play host to the second ODI on December 3.
The final one-dayer will be in Visakhapatnam on December 6.
The first T20I will be played on December 9, followed by matches on December 11, 14, 17 and 19. — PTI
The national white-ball tournaments will also be played in Elite and Plate system unlike earlier season where 38 men’s teams, 37 women’s teams barring Services and 36 age group sides barring Railways and Services would compete in mixed format.
However, from the 2025-26 season, the six bottom placed domestic teams of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy from 2024-25 season will compete in the Plate Group while the other teams will participate in Elite group.
The bottom-placed team of the Elite group will be relegated to Plate and Plate group champion will be promoted to Elite group. — PTI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) sprang a surprise when untested Rajat Patidar was named as the captain for IPL 2025. And thus a new era begins for a franchise which has seen seven captains in the past — from Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen, Anil Kumble all the way to Faf du Plessis.
Patidar, who became the Madhya Pradesh skipper just last year, now faces the unenviable task of guiding RCB to a maiden IPL trophy.
For starters, Patidar needs to assert his authority and win his teammates over quickly, given that RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat muddied the waters by insisting that superstar Virat Kohli “doesn’t need a captaincy title to lead”.
IPL 2025 Countdown | Can Patidar beat the odds and take RCB to the promised land?
Even after the exit of its title-winning captain Sheyas Iyer and mentor Gautam Gambhir, defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders has stuck to its winning formula, relying on its core group of players while embarking on the challenging quest of retaining its Indian Premier League crown.
The Knight Riders have left no stone unturned in the build-up to the tournament by hiring the right personnel, having a preparatory camp in Mumbai, conducting a trophy tour and performing a puja at its home venue Eden Gardens. By bringing in a seasoned leader such as Ajinkya Rahane and grooming one for forthcoming seasons in vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer, KKR has taken care of its present with an eye on the future.
IPL 2025 countdown | Knight Riders have the class and balance to do an encore
Kolkata Knight Riders coach Chandrakant Pandit feels new mentor Dwayne Bravo “adds value to the team”, which is hoping to defend its title in the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
Pandit, who worked with Gautam Gambhir in 2024 and saw KKR claim its third crown, welcomed Bravo warmly. “He is a legend. Adds value to the team and is a big asset for KKR. He understands what it takes to succeed. There are many things to learn from him,” said Pandit, in his appreciation for his Caribbean colleague, during the Knights Unplugged 2.0 event here on Wednesday.
Bravo understands what it takes to succeed, says KKR coach Pandit
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who has been a key player for the Indian team as well as the Kolkata Knight Riders side, believes that consistency is the key to success and he’s working on adding new variations to his craft.
From battling fitness challenges to becoming a key figure in India’s recent Champions Trophy triumph where he took nine wickets, the architect-turned-cricketer has had a remarkable journey.
Chakravarthy formed a deadly spin quartet with Kuldeep Yadav (seven wickets), Ravindra Jadeja (five), and Axar Patel (five) to form a web around the opposition during the Champions Trophy.
Focused on consistency, Varun Chakravarthy working on few other deliveries for IPL 2025
Here is a quiz on different records in IPL history
Daily Quiz | On different records in IPL history
Predicting favourites is tough business. It is an exercise that at once feels very rational and logical but also instinctive and guesswork-heavy. In a competition like the IPL, it is all the more difficult, for squads are chopped and changed every three years.
Yet, looking back at 17 years of history, one can claim to have some foreknowledge about how things may eventually pan out. We know how certain captains operate, a few coaches strategise and a lot of pitches behave.
With the help of past information, a dose of intuitive intelligence and a big prayer, here is an attempt to zero-in on a potential top-four, not necessarily in that order.
IPL 2025 playoff race | Who will be the last four standing?
Their immediate target is to end their title drought in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but head coach Ricky Ponting has also set the goal of becoming the best-ever Punjab Kings team.
With Ponting taking over as the head coach and last year’s IPL winning captain Shreyas Iyer becoming the skipper, Punjab Kings hope for a strong turnaround in their fortunes as they hunt for a maiden title win.
Punjab Kings will take on Gujarat Titans in their opening match on March 25 in Ahmedabad.
“The overall vision for this team is to win the IPL. I told the guys on the very first day when I joined the camp in Dharamshala that we were going to create and become the greatest Punjab Kings team that’s played,” Ponting was quoted as saying in a release from the franchise.
“That’s the journey that we’re on and that doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to create that,” he said.
The Australian batting legend emphasised on developing a winning attitude, adding that he doesn’t want the opposition to take anything away from his side.
“Winning is really an attitude thing. If we turn up to play, the opposition turns up to play, if they want to beat us, then it feels like they’re taking something away and I don’t want to let anyone take anything away from me or take anything away from my team,” he said.
Ponting tipped uncapped Indian players in Delhi’s Priyansh Arya and Mumbai duo of Suryansh Shedge and Musheer Khan to come good this season.
“Priyansh Arya, I think is a very special potential opening batsman for us going forward in the tournament. Depending on which way we go with our overseas make-up, he’s very exciting. Suryansh Shedge is also someone who has been very impressive in our training so far,” he said.
“When I talk about energy and fun, another player that I am impressed with, is Musheer Khan. He’s brought a lot to the group already. He has got an infectious attitude, and around the training ground and around the team so far, he’s been someone that I’ve really enjoyed working with.” Ponting also emphasised on the senior players setting the right example for youngsters.
“I put a lot of the bait on them to ensure that they’re setting the right example,” he said.
“Because a lot of the young domestic Indian players look up to the overseas boys and if the overseas boys aren’t doing the right thing, then it’s easy for the young Indian guys to not do the right thing either. So I empower the overseas guys to be the leaders and lead the way,” added the former Australia captain. — PTI
The highly anticipated season opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) can be marred by weather as the ‘City of Joy’ has witnessed a fair bit of overnight rain.Though the sun made a brief appearance around midday, raising hopes for an uninterrupted match, the forecast in Kolkata remains uncertain, with overcast conditions expected for most of the day and intermittent showers predicted, including during match hours, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Kolkata has experienced persistent, though not particularly heavy, rainfall in the days leading up to the season opener. The weather has already disrupted preparations, with rain cutting short both teams’ training sessions on Friday. Earlier in the week, a KKR intra-squad practice match was washed out after just one innings, while light rain also affected training sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. — ANI
When asked to predict the four teams that will make the playoffs, Sarandeep picked some surprising names. “My four teams for the IPL 2025 playoffs will be Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad,” he said.
Being asked about which current IPL captain has the potential to lead India in the future, Sarandeep named two young names. “Shreyas Iyer is already part of the Indian setup and comes from winning the Champions Trophy. He will be leading Punjab Kings (PBKS) this year. Then, there is Rishabh Pant, captaining Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Both have the potential to lead India in the future. This IPL will be a big platform for them to showcase their leadership skills,” Singh noted.
Delhi has always been a breeding ground for cricketing talent, and this year, multiple young players from the city will feature in the IPL. Sarandeep highlighted a few names who could shine this season. “Delhi is a big city with thousands of cricketers, and not everyone gets to play Ranji Trophy. The Delhi Premier League (DPL) has been a great platform for players to get noticed. Priyansh Arya, who hit six sixes in an over in the DPL, was picked up by Punjab Kings for Rs4 crore (Rs 3.8 crore) as an uncapped player. Another exciting prospect is Prince Yadav, a fast bowler selected by LSG. Then there’s Vansh Bedi, who will play for CSK, and Digvesh Rathi, also picked by LSG. These players will be closely watched this season,” he remarked. — ANI
Reflecting on the major squad changes in KKR, Sarandeep emphasized how the decision to release Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt and Mitchell Starc — both of whom played crucial roles in their title-winning campaign last year, will affect the team this year. “There will be a difference with Iyer not being there. Ajinkya Rahane is the new captain, but they have not retained last year’s leader. They also let go of Mitchell Starc and Phil Salt. Salt was brilliant at the top with Sunil Narine. Now, KKR must find a new opener, or maybe Ajinkya Rahane will open and Salt will be playing against his former team. It will be interesting to see how he performs against them,” he said. — ANI
Former India cricketer Sarandeep Singh recently shared his insights on Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, discussing the major squad changes in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR), the two sides who will be locking horns in the season opener on March 22, 2025.
Reflecting on RCB’s ‘inconsistency’ in retaining players, Sarandeep called it a major issue while drawing comparisons to the most successful franchises, the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. Notably, RCB’s release of Mohammed Siraj and Faf du Plessis has remained a talking point, given their decent performance in previous seasons.
“RCB let go of Faf du Plessis, who was scoring runs for them. The problem with RCB is their inconsistency in retaining players. When someone stays with the team for two years and plays international cricket, you should back them instead of letting them go. They should have kept Mohammed Siraj because that’s how you build a team–like a family,” Sarandeep Singh, JioStar expert, told ANI.
“Look at Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, who have won multiple titles. They don’t change players frequently; they back them for the long run. I know Siraj wasn’t performing well, he was getting smacked, and maybe the results weren’t ideal, but they still should have supported him for another year,” he added.
“That being said, RCB has made some solid additions with Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. These are big buys, and Bhuvneshwar, in particular, is a match-winning bowler. This year, the combination of Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood will be exciting to watch,” Singh noted. — ANI
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday (March 22, 2025) forecast thunderstorms, along with lightning and strong surface wind, in some districts of West Bengal till March 23.
Thunderstorms with gusty wind, lightning and light to moderate rainfall are very likely at a few places in Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Nadia and Murshidabad districts, it said.
The other districts in West Bengal are also likely to receive light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by gusty wind till Sunday (March 23, 2025).
Kolkata is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by gusty wind, till Sunday morning, the IMD said.
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 21.1 degrees Celsius on Saturday, which is three notches below normal, according to Met office data.
When the Indian Premier League baby was born in 2008, it had a burden to carry. Birthed by Lalit Modi and blessed by the ruling BCCI, the IPL came into existence to mainly thwart the rebel Indian Cricket League and maintain the governing body’s monopoly over the sport in the country.
In the 17 years since then, it is safe to say that the reactionary child has lived up to expectations. With the foundational goal met pretty early, an unshackled IPL has experienced life to the fullest. Even corruption and betting scandals have been overcome, like how canny adolescents tackle the struggles and uncertainties that mark boyhood and youth.
IPL 2025 | Indian cricket’s reactionary child turns 18… how fast the night changes!
Nearing two decades of existence, brand IPL has become stronger than ever and doesn’t see any threat from the growing number of T20 leagues globally, its chairman Arun Dhumal said on Saturday (March 22, 2025) as he steered clear of the speculation swirling around an event backed by Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to PTI as the league enters its 18th edition, Dhumal said the BCCI supports the rise in number of T20 leagues globally, especially in unchartered territories like Saudi Arabia, Europe and the USA. He feels the growth will eventually help the game ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where cricket will be played.
“There is no point discussing something on the basis of speculation. There is nothing on the table for discussion with everyone (all stakeholders). And as far as my knowledge goes, there is no infrastructure as of now in Saudi Arabia that can cater to a tournament of this scale.
“So, there is no point discussing speculative stories,” said the IPL chairman.
Plenty has been reported in international media about the oil-rich Saudi Arabia foraying into cricket over the last two years but nothing concrete has come out of those speculations.
Having said that, Saudi Arabia has been a sponsor in the IPL and hosted the mega auction last year.
Now there is fresh chatter around a tennis Grand Slam styled league funded by the Arab giant but concrete details are yet to emerge. — PTI
Equipped with a balanced squad that features a formidable batting line-up and experienced bowlers, last edition’s runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad will start as favourites in their opening Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on Sunday (March 23, 2025).
Sunrisers have some of the most explosive batters in their line-up in Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, and with a belter of a track likely to offer at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, they would fancy a massive total in the afternoon match of the double-header day.
In fact, if any team can get to the much talked about 300-run total after batting first, it is Sunrisers that is expected to achieve the feat with the firepower they have.
IPL 2025, SRH vs RR: Sunrisers Hyderabad to start favourite against Rajasthan Royals
Chennai Super Kings will lean on their formidable spin strength under favourable conditions at the Chepauk as well as recent record against Mumbai Indians when the two sides face each other in their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign opener in Chennai on Sunday (March 23, 2025).
Five-time winners CSK augmented their spin attack in the IPL mega auction last year by including Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad Shreyas Gopal and Deepak Hooda, with India veteran Ravindra Jadeja also in the mix.
IPL 2025, CSK vs MI: Chennai Super Kings lean on spin strength against depleted Mumbai Indians in their IPL opener
The BCCI on Sunday (February 16, 2025) unveiled a 74-match schedule for the 18th Indian Premier League that will be held across 13 venues, starting on March 22 with three franchises playing at least a couple of their home games at their designated second bases.
The event will kick off with a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on March 22 and culminate at the same venue on May 25 in a schedule that did not offer any surprises.
A schedule features 12 double-headers. The games will be held over 65 days across 13 venues, with Dharamsala, Guwahati, and Visakhapatnam hosting a couple of IPL fixtures each.
IPL 2025 schedule: KKR vs RCB at Eden to kick off season
Since the start of the IPL, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has been the epitome of consistency, reaching the Playoffs on every occasion it played from 2008 to 2019. However, since 2020, the team has blown hot and cold every alternate season. CSK did not qualify for the knockouts thrice (2020, 2022 & 2024) while clinching the title in 2021 and 2023.
Last year, Super Kings failed to progress narrowly, losing out to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Net Run Rate (NRR). After posting four wins in the first six games, CSK’s campaign stuttered towards the business-end of the league stage, adding just three more victories. The lack of firepower in the middle-order and the inability of the Indian pacers to step up proved costly.
IPL countdown | Consistency key to CSK’s pursuit of sixth title
Hyderabad would host nine Indian Premier Leagues (IPL) 2025 matches, spread over March 23 to May 21.
In the first match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, in this season of IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad would compete against Rajasthan Royals on March 23, a Sunday. Sunrisers Hyderabad would play against other teams in the seven matches at the stadium. Thereafter, Qualifier 1 and Eliminator matches are scheduled to be held on May 20 and 21 respectively.
Hyderabad to host 9 IPL 2025 matches; list of dates and timing
Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) home game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 6 is set to be shifted to Guwahati as police has expressed its inability to provide security for the IPL contest due to ‘Ram Navami’ celebrations in the city on the day, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehasish Ganguly told PTI on Thursday (March 20, 2025).
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had announced that over 20,000 processions are being organised across West Bengal to celebrate the festival.
IPL 2025: KKR vs LSG match on April 6 set to be shifted to Guwahati for lack of security arrangements
Published – March 22, 2025 03:37 pm IST
cricket / Indian Premier League / IPL / Live news
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