IPL Releases Dates for Upcoming Three Seasons; Overseas Players Get Clearance

The Indian Premier League (IPL), one of the most popular cricket tournaments globally, has announced the dates for its next three seasons in an unprecedented move. According to information obtained by ESPNcricinfo, the 2025 season will commence on March 14 and conclude on May 25. The 2026 season is scheduled from March 15 to May 31, while the 2027 tournament will run from March 14 to May 30.

The IPL communication referred to these as «windows,» though they are expected to become the final dates due to planning and coordination with various cricket boards around the world. The league is set to feature 84 matches in the 2025 and 2026 seasons, slightly fewer than initially projected, with a maximum of 94 matches in the final year under the current media rights deal.

Franchises have received a major boost with the confirmation that overseas players from most Full Member cricket nations will be available for the IPL seasons from 2025 to 2027. However, players from Pakistan remain absent due to ongoing political tensions.

Cricket Australia (CA) has approved participation for its players, allowing them to join after their national commitments in both 2026 and 2027. Similarly, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed full availability of 18 centrally contracted players, excluding some like Test captain Ben Stokes, for IPL engagements over the next three years.

Meanwhile, players from nations such as South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe are also expected to fully participate. Sri Lankan players will be available starting from the 2025 season, with future availability contingent on retention. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has provided a list of 13 players with varying levels of availability.

The forthcoming IPL 2025 mega auction, set for November 24 and 25, 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is highly anticipated. This marks the second consecutive year the auction is being held outside India, following the previous event in Dubai. Out of 1574 registrants, 574 players have made it to the final list, including 366 Indian players and 208 overseas players.

Among the marquee sets for the auction, seven Indian players have been highlighted, including notable names such as KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami. The auction, broadcast live by Star Sports and available via Jio Cinema, is scheduled to begin at 12:30 PM local time in Jeddah, aligning with Indian standard time at 3 PM.