IPL 2025 kicks off Saturday: Full schedule, start times, teams, where to watch in the US – USA TODAY

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) returns Saturday with a match between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The tournament will kick off Saturday at 6 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET) with a star-studded opening ceremony that feature performances by Indian actor Disha Patani, singer Shreya Ghoshal, and singer Karan Aujla. Multiple reports have suggested OneRepublic, who recently collaborated with Aujla for a music video featuring Patani, has also been approached to perform at the event.
The approximately two-month tournament will feature 74 matches which will played across 13 venues with the finale scheduled for May 25. The IPL, arguably the biggest and most lucrative T20 tournament in the world, will have top cricket players from across the world participate in the event.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 18th edition of the IPL, including match schedule and venues.
Kolkata Knight Riders, co-owned by Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, won the IPL tournament in 2024 under the captaincy of Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer. This was the team’s third win since the league’s inception in 2007.
Seventy-four matches will be played across 13 venues and will include 12 double-headers, BCCI said. While the afternoon games will begin at 3:30 p.m. IST (6 a.m. ET), the evening matches will start at 7:30 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET).
Here’s the complete schedule for IPL 2025:
IPL matches are available to stream live on WillowTV and on the Cricbuzz app. The live score will be available to view on the Cricbuzz website, IPL website and the official social media handles of the league.
Watch IPL 2025 on Sling
How to watch IPL 2025: Sign up for a free trial to watch live cricket matches
A total of 10 teams will be playing in IPL this year, including:
The opening match of the 2025 Indian Premier League will take place at Eden Garden in India’s eastern city of Kolkata, the home of the defending champions.
Other match venues, as per IPL, include:
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Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

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