IPL 2025: BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla Shares Date For Indian Premier League Commencement, Read Details

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is set to commence on March 23, as confirmed by Rajeev Shukla, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The final match will be held on May 25. This announcement follows a recent BCCI meeting where significant decisions were made, including appointing a new treasurer and secretary.

During the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a total of 182 players were sold for Rs 639.15 crore. Teams primarily focused on strengthening their squads while retaining key players. Concerns were raised by some teams about potentially losing players they had developed over time due to the auction's nature.

Key Auction Highlights

The auction spotlight was on two marquee sets of players after the list of 574 participants was unveiled. High-profile players attracted substantial bids, with some having successful histories with previous teams despite past conflicts. Rishabh Pant emerged as the most expensive player in IPL history, fetching Rs 27 crore.

Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer followed closely behind, being sold for Rs 26.75 crore and Rs 23.75 crore respectively. However, notable names like David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, and Shardul Thakur did not receive any bids and remained unsold during this auction.

BCCI Meeting Outcomes

The BCCI meeting also addressed the Women's Premier League (WPL) venue details, which are nearing finalisation. Additionally, a new commissioner has been appointed for a one-year term to oversee upcoming events. The next BCCI meeting is scheduled for January 18-19 to finalise the squad for the Champions Trophy.

In preparation for the IPL's start on March 21, the newly appointed BCCI secretary highlighted the demanding schedule ahead. With consecutive events lined up, significant coordination and attention will be required from all involved parties to ensure smooth operations throughout the season.

Reflecting on past seasons, IPL 2024 began on March 22 with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) facing Chennai Super Kings (CSK), culminating in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) winning the trophy on May 26. Initially, Rajeev Shukla had mistakenly announced March 23 as the start date for IPL 2025 but later corrected it to March 21.

The IPL auction took place over two days in Jeddah and saw top players like Rishabh Pant breaking records with massive bids. Teams engaged in extensive discussions with BCCI regarding various rules leading up to this eventful auction period.