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IPL: Dates, teams, venues, history & more

The Indian Premier League is the world's most prestigious Twenty20 franchise tournament and the glitz and glamour of the event is matched by the quality of cricket on the field.

Since its inaugural season in 2008, the IPL has showcased the talents of top T20 players from around the globe and propelled a new generation of Indian cricketers to stardom. 

IPL dates

The Indian Premier League is held each year in India during the months of March, April and May. 

The 2025 IPL schedule is yet to be finalised.

IPL times

Most of the matches in the 2024 IPL will start at 7.30pm Indian time, which is 2pm in the UK and Ireland. Twenty20 games tend to last between three and four hours.

IPL venues

Each of the 10 franchises has their own home ground and some of the most iconic cricket stadiums in India play host to IPL matches each season. 

Champions Chennai Super Kings play at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which hosted the 2024 final, Kolkata Knight Riders are based at Eden Gardens and Gujarat Titans welcome visiting teams to the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which was the venue for the 2022 and 2023 finals.

Rajasthan Royals divide their home fixtures between Jaipur and Guwahati while Punjab Kings played games in Mohali and Dharamshala.

IPL history

The 2025 Indian Premier League will be the 18th edition of the T20 franchise league. 

It was first held in 2008 when Rajasthan Royals, inspired by Australia legend Shane Warne, lifted the trophy. 

The 2009 tournament was held in South Africa and Dubai staged the IPL finals in 2020 and 2021, but the tournament has taken place in India in the last two years.

In the 2023 final Chennai Super Kings beat 2022 winners Gujarat Titans by five wickets on the DLS method to claim the title for the fifth time.

Chennai, who have also been runners-up five times, are the joint-most successful team in IPL history along with Mumbai Indians, while Gujarat have reached the final in their first two seasons as a franchise.

Kolkata Knight Riders, champions in 2012, 2014 and 2024, are the only other team to have won more than one IPL title, while the now-defunct Deccan Chargers lifted the trophy in 2009 and Sunrisers Hyderabad won the 2016 edition.

IPL format

The Indian Premier League was expanded to 10 teams in 2022, with the franchises split into two groups for the league stage of the competition. 

Under the current format, each franchise plays 14 league fixtures, facing the other four teams in their group once and the five teams in the other group twice, once at home and once away. 

The top four teams in the league table qualify for the end-of-season play-offs. 

The franchises select their squads in lucrative pre-season player auctions and they are permitted to pick a maximum of four overseas players in their matchday XI.
 

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