IPL 2025: The Date Is Set—But Is It March 23 or Something Else?

The highly anticipated 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) is officially set to commence on March 23, as confirmed by BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla on Sunday. While the initial announcement pointed to the March 23 start date, a senior IPL Governing Council (GC) member later clarified that the season could begin on either March 20 or 21, with final confirmations still pending. 

The upcoming season will mark the 18th edition of the IPL, featuring 10 franchises, including heavyweights like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

#WATCH | Mumbai: BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla says, "Devajit Saikia elected new BCCI secretary and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia elects as BCCI treasurer...IPL is going to start from 23rd March..." pic.twitter.com/Jd6x7U8Hou

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2025

In a major development, all IPL teams have already bolstered their squads during the mega auction held in Jeddah on November 24-25 last year, gearing up for what promises to be an exciting campaign.

In an important regulatory update, the IPL will now follow the ICC Code of Conduct for player discipline in the upcoming season. The decision, taken at Sunday’s IPL GC meeting, mandates that ICC’s sanctioned penalties for Level 1, 2, and 3 offences will be applied in case of violations. While IPL previously had its own Code of Conduct, this change aligns the league with ICC T20I regulations for a more uniform disciplinary framework.

Meanwhile, the Women's Premier League (WPL) will be played across four cities: Lucknow, Mumbai, Baroda, and Bengaluru, expanding the league’s reach and ensuring a wider fan base.

With a host of new regulations and an exciting season ahead, both IPL 2025 and WPL promise to deliver exhilarating cricket action for fans around the world.