Epochal Eden Gardens IPL drought ends!

Article posted by Coliseum, February 27^th, 2025

Image: Eden Gardens Stadium, Marajozkee, CC BY-SA 4.0

The iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata (India) will host the Indian Premier League (IPL) Final after a decade as the much-awaited schedule for the 2025 edition was announced recently.

‘The IndianEXPRESS’ stated that the league will start from Kolkata on March 22^nd and will return to the same venue after 64 days on May 25^th for the final.

The Eden Gardens is an international cricket stadium in Kolkata, India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and the second-largest cricket stadium in India and the third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 68,000. It is operated by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and also serves as their headquarters. It is the home ground of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is the governing body for cricket in the Indian State of West Bengal. It owns the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata where its headquarters are located. The CAB is a full member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and organizes various events in West Bengal.

Mumbai (India)-based the Indian Premier League, also known as the IPL, is a Men’s Twenty20 cricket league (a shortened format of cricket) organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Founded by the BCCI in 2007, the league features 10 State or City-based franchise teams – the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the Delhi Capitals (DC), the Gujarat Titans (GT), the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the Mumbai Indians (MI), the Punjab Kings (PBKS), the Rajasthan Royals (RR), the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). It is the most popular and richest cricket league in the world and is held between March and May.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of the sport of cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at the Cricket Centre in Churchgate, Mumbai (India). The BCCI is the wealthiest governing body of cricket in the world. It has more than 5,300 crore revenue.

KKR vs. RCB to kick things off

‘The IndianEXPRESS’ further stated that the current champions Kolkata Knight Riders and the perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play the opening game on March 22^nd, 2025 in a match that will pit two new captains in all likelihood. The 2025 season will once more have 74 matches spread out across 13 venues and will include 12 double-headers. Last season’s Runner-up Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Rajasthan Royals on March 23^rd and the arch-rivals – the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians – will take each other in the second fixture of the day. While the afternoon games will begin at 3.30 pm IST, the evening games will begin from 7.30 pm IST.

Hyderabad, Kolkata to host playoffs

The league stage will conclude on May 18^th, 2025 with the Lucknow Super Giants taking on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 50,100-capacity Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). After a day’s break the playoffs will start on May 20^th with Qualifier 1 in Hyderabad. Eliminator (May 21^st) will also be played in the Southern City. Qualifier 2 (May 23^rd) and the Final (May 25^th) will be played subsequently at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The IPL Final returns to Kolkata after a 10-year absence. The Eden Gardens last hosted the final in 2015 when the Mumbai Indians defeated the Chennai Super Kings to win their second-ever IPL trophy. The last IPL Final was played at the 38,200-capacity M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) where the KKR defeated the SRH to win their third IPL trophy.

Three teams to host in two venues

The Delhi Capitals will play their home games in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and at the 35,200-capacity Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The Punjab Kings will play four home games at the 38,000-capacity New PCA Stadium in Tira, Punjab. The picturesque Dharamshala (town in Himachal Pradesh) will host three home games of the PBKS. As has been the case recently the Rajasthan Royals will play their home games in two venues too. Samson’s (Sanju Samson – captain of the Rajasthan Royals) side will play their two home games in Guwahati (Assam) – where they host the KKR and the CSK – and will play the remainder of their home games at the 24,000-capacity Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur (Rajasthan). Overall, 13 venues will play hosts across the tournament.

The first El Classico (when the MI and the CSK meet it is termed as the El Classico) of IPL 2025 – between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings – will come as early as Day 2 with the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium hosting the rivals on March 23^rd in the third match. There will be two clashes between the heavyweights again with the 33,100-capacity Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai hosting the return affair on April 20^th. The CSK have a blockbuster start to the season with their first two matches in the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium being against the MI and the RCB.

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