The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has surprised everyone by announcing the dates of the next three IPL seasons. IPL 2025 will begin on March 14 and end with the season finale on May 25. BCCI has informed the IPL teams about this and has set the window from March 15 to May 31 for the 2026 season and March 14 to May 30 for the 2027 season. All the franchises were informed about this timeline on Friday morning.

The early announcement of the IPL schedule marks a refreshing change from the past when the BCCI and IPL officials often waited until the last minute to release the dates. The reason for this change is not difficult to understand, as the league now gets full benefit from the international window.

BCCI has included Joffra Archer, Saurabh Netwalkar and Hardik Tamore in the IPL auction. The Indian Cricket Board has included England fast bowler Joffra Archer, Indian-origin American fast bowler Saurabh Netwalkar and Mumbai youth in the two-day auction to be held in Jeddah from Sunday. It has been decided to include wicketkeeper-batsman Hardik Tamore. In a letter sent to the teams, the BCCI said that the dates of the next three IPL seasons were shared to help the teams plan their auction strategies for players.

Jofra Archer’s return and availability
Joffra Archer, who did not play in the IPL this year and left midway through 2023 due to an elbow injury, will be available for the entire IPL 2025 season. He has confirmed his availability for all three seasons of the current cycle. Although BCCI did not mention Archer’s base price, reports suggest that he has placed himself in the top bracket of Rs 2 crore.

Saurabh Netrawalkar and Hardik Tamore participated in the auction.
Saurabh Netrawalkar, who impressed in the T20 World Cup in America, and Mumbai’s Hardik Tamore are also included in the auction list. Former India Under-19 cricketer Netrawalkar played Ranji Trophy for Mumbai before moving to the US to pursue his studies and work at Oracle. It was surprising to see his name in the auction in place of Unmukt Chand, who was not a part of the US team in the T20 World Cup.

IPL 2025 and Champions Trophy timings
The Champions Trophy is scheduled between 19 February and 9 March. With IPL 2025 scheduled to start from March 14, this may indicate that the BCCI has made up its mind that if the PCB does not adopt the hybrid model, the BCCI will not go into it. Pakistan’s exclusion from the Champions Trophy will not have any impact on it. This time may also put pressure on the PCB to agree to a hybrid model.

Possible conflict with PSL dates
PSL is usually organized in February-March, but due to the Champions Trophy, its window may be extended this year. This could potentially clash with the IPL 2025 dates, which would further highlight the existing tension and BCCI’s strategy.

IPL 2025 on Jio Cinema
In an exciting development, BCCI has announced that IPL 2025 will be available for free streaming on Jio Cinema, giving fans greater access to the tournament.