New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) has become an annual festival of the nation that arrives each year with a bang and takes away all the spotlight for two and a half months. Similar is the case of the tournament’s 18th edition, which starts with a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata amid not-so-promising weather.
Like the uncapped player rule took a major spotlight during last season, this year’s most prominent rule change is the reversal of the saliva ban. The use of saliva was banned in the IPL owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has now been reinstated so that players can shine the ball. The BCCI lifted the ban after receiving a majority consensus from IPL skippers in a meeting held a couple of days back.
It is to be noted that the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned the use of saliva permanently in 2022, but the IPL operates under its own regulations. The 2025 season will also witness some new tactics which include a major change in reply to dew’s impact. In the second innings of night games (only), a fresh ball can be introduced from the 11th over, given that the on-field umpires deem the dew significant.
Also, the Decision Review System (DRS) has been expanded as it will now include height wides and offside wides as well. The controversial rule of Impact Player remains in place despite several debates over its influence on the game.
🚨 NEWS 🚨
Updates and changes following IPL Captains Meeting ahead of the 18th season of #TATAIPL
Details 🔽
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 21, 2025
New skipper faces
Gone are the days when a team used to have an intact captain for several seasons. As many as seven teams will start their campaign under new leadership this season. Out of those, a few can be termed as “temporary” arrangements due to varied reasons. The most surprising appointment was Rajast Patidar, who would lead RCB despite not having represented Team India in the T20 format so far.
Axar Patel has taken charge of Delhi Capitals (DC) and will get the support from his senior KL Rahul, who is coming after a turbulent stint with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2024. Shreyas Iyer, who took KKR to glory in 2024, will now wear the captain’s armband for Punjab Kings (PBKS), as Ajinkya Rahane replaces him in the Kolkata franchise.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) start their season with Riyan Parag as their interim captain for the first three games as Sanju Samson recovers from a finger injury. It will be Suryakumar Yadav leading the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their away opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday as Hardik Pandya sits out owing to a suspension for an over-rate violation from last season.
🔟 captains, 🔟 mindsets, 1️⃣ 🏆
Each leader brings a unique strategy, but only one will win the #TATAIPL 2025 title 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Y7yZOa1Dxr
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 21, 2025
KKR vs RCB preview
The curtain-raiser at the Eden Gardens will revive an iconic rivalry. It was 17 years ago when a destructive Brendon McCullum smacked 158 in the inaugural IPL match, giving an essence of what IPL will be all about to the Indian audience. But… it is just KKR that has bore the fruits of success, winning three titles ever since, and RCB yet searches for the elusive crown.
KKR is often known to take a slump after a title win but under the leadership of Rahane, will look to defy the fact this season. They possess the mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy who has been enjoying success lately with Team India. He was the architect of India’s Champions Trophy victory and will take on Kohli, who has worked extensively in the nets against spin.
Phil Salt, who opened for KKR in 2024, has now moved to RCB; therefore, Sunil Narine will have to compensate for him with the bat at the top order. He will also complement Chakravarthy with the ball.
For RCB, their batting part looks formidable with the potential opening pair of Kohli and Salt, and finishers like Jitesh Sharma and Liam Livingstone. Now that Mohammed Siraj has shifted base to the Gujarat Titans (GT), RCB’s bowling is weakened, with only veterans Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood with them. Both will try to make an impact on Eden Gardens’ spin-friendly conditions.
But it all might mean for nothing as there’s an orange warning has been issued in Kolkata due to the forecast of thunderstorms and rain on match day. A glitzy opening ceremony precedes the game, featuring artists like Shreya Ghoshal, Karan Aujla, and Disha Patani, but the excitement might get dampened.
(With PTI inputs)
The IPL 2025 begins on Saturday with a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The two teams last played an IPL opener in the inaugural season (2008). Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
