In a groundbreaking development, the IPL has disclosed the schedules for its next three seasons. The 2025 edition is set to begin on March 14 and conclude with the final on May 25. The 2026 season will run from March 15 to May 31, while the 2027 edition is slated for March 14 to May 30.
An email sent to franchises on Thursday, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, referred to these dates as windows, though they are likely to be finalized. The 2025 tournament will feature 74 matches, consistent with the previous three seasons. However, this is ten fewer than the 84 matches initially outlined in 2022 when the media rights for the 2023-27 cycle were sold.
The IPL’s tender document for the new media rights cycle outlined a fluctuating number of matches per season: 74 games each in 2023 and 2024, 84 matches in both 2025 and 2026, and up to 94 games in the concluding year of the deal in 2027.
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Overseas Stars Cleared for Full Participation
In a significant advantage for IPL franchises, overseas players from most Full Member nations have received approval from their respective cricket boards to participate in the tournament for the next three years. However, this does not extend to Pakistan, whose players have been absent from the IPL since its inaugural season in 2008 due to ongoing political tensions between the two nations.
Here is the country-wise availability of overseas players for the 2025–2027 IPL seasons, as detailed in the IPL’s official email:
Australia
Cricket Australia (CA) has granted full clearance for its players—both international and domestic—to participate in the IPL 2025 season. For the 2026 edition, Australia is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series in Pakistan, which CA has confirmed will “conclude no later than March 18.”
Players involved in that series or taking rest following the T20 World Cup (to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026) will join the IPL after the Pakistan tour. In 2027, Australian players taking part in a commemorative one-off Test against England in March, marking 150 years of Test cricket, will join the league after the conclusion of the match.
England
The ECB has provided a list of 18 centrally contracted players who will be fully available for the next three IPL seasons. Notably absent from this list is England’s Test captain Ben Stokes, who opted out of the 2025 IPL mega auction. The players confirmed to be fully available from 2025 to 2027 include: Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, and Reece Topley.
The ECB has clarified that some of these players will become “out of contract” at various points during the 2025-27 period. However, while under contract, they will remain available to participate in the IPL. Additionally, England’s non-centrally contracted players will have full availability for all three seasons.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that its players will be fully available for the 2025 season. Those retained for the 2026 and 2027 editions will also remain available.
Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has submitted a list of 13 players with varying degrees of availability over the three-year period. The players include Taskin Ahmed, Litton Kumar Das, Mahedi Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Shoriful Islam, Shohidul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe: Players from these nations will have full availability for the IPL seasons from 2025 to 2027.
FAQs
When does IPL 2025 begin and end?
IPL 2025 will start on March 14 and conclude with the final on May 25.
How many matches will be played in IPL 2025?
The 2025 season will feature 74 matches, the same as the previous three seasons.
Are overseas players available for IPL 2025?
Yes, players from most Full Member countries, including Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, and others, will be fully available for IPL 2025, except for Pakistan.
What is the availability of players from Bangladesh?
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has listed 13 players with varying availability for IPL seasons between 2025 and 2027.
