IPL schedule: KKR vs RCB at Eden to kick off season, details here
New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI): The BCCI on Sunday unveiled a 74-match schedule for the 18th Indian Premier League that will be held across 13 venues, starting on March 22 with three franchises playing at least a couple of their home games at their designated second bases.
The event will kick off with a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on March 22 and culminate at the same venue on May 25 in a schedule that did not offer any surprises.
A schedule features 12 double-headers. The games will be held over 65 days across 13 venues, with Dharamsala, Guwahati, and Visakhapatnam hosting a couple of IPL fixtures each.
As has been the norm, Dharamsala will serve as Punjab Kings' second home venue alongside Mullanpur (New Chandigarh), while Rajasthan Royals will make Guwahati their base in addition to Jaipur.
Delhi Capitals will have Visakhapatnam as their second home venue and will start their league campaign there on March 24 against Lucknow Super Giants.
Guwahati and Visakhapatnam will host two matches each, while Dharamsala will stage three matches.
The first double-header of the season will be held on March 23 in which Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Rajasthan Royals in an afternoon game in Hyderabad, followed by a contest between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The playoffs will be staged in Hyderabad and Kolkata after the league stage. Hyderabad will host Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on May 20 and May 21, respectively, with the action shifting to Kolkata for Qualifier 2 on May 23.
The IPL will continue with its two-group structure after the 2022 expansion to a 10-team format.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, and Punjab Kings are in one group, while Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants are in the other.
Each team will play the other sides in their group twice, one pre-determined team from the opposite group, and the remaining four teams from the other group once.
Mark your calendars, folks! 🥳🗓#TATAIPL 2025 kicks off on March 2️⃣2️⃣ with a clash between @KKRiders and @RCBTweets 🤜🤛
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 16, 2025
When is your favourite team's first match? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/f2tf3YcSyY
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Fire destroys parked school buses in Thiruvananthapuram, sabotage suspected
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A major fire broke out at a school ground near here in the small hours of Monday, destroying three parked school buses, police said here.
The incident occurred at around 2.45 am at the ground of a Higher Secondary School at Thundathil under Kazhakkoottam police station limits.
Three school buses were completely gutted in the fire, while another bus was partially damaged, police said.
Fire and rescue teams rushed to the area and brought the blaze under control after an operation that lasted about 30 minutes.
A tempo traveller was found close to the buses, raising suspicion of foul play, officials said.
However, it is not yet clear who drove the vehicle or how it reached the area where the buses were parked.
The school authorities and locals suspect that the fire may not have been accidental.
Police said they have begun an investigation to find out the exact cause of the fire.
