Get ready for the biggest cricket entertainment! The 18th season of the IPL kicks off this Saturday. The first match will be played between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore at 7:30 PM in Kolkata. Over the course of 65 days, 10 teams will play a total of 74 matches, with 12 days featuring doubleheaders. The final will also take place in Kolkata on May 25.
A special milestone: The world’s biggest T20 league has now turned 18, making it officially ‘balling.’ Started in 2008 with 8 teams and 59 matches, the league has now grown to 10 teams and 74 matches. Not only that, but the team salary cap has also increased from ₹20 crore to ₹120 crore. Seventeen years ago, MS Dhoni was the most expensive player at ₹7.5 crore, whereas this season, Rishabh Pant has been the highest-paid player at ₹27 crore.
This Season, 5 Teams Have New Captains:
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Delhi: Axar Patel
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Kolkata: Ajinkya Rahane
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Lucknow: Rishabh Pant
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Punjab: Shreyas Iyer
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Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar
Last season, Mumbai was led by Hardik Pandya, Gujarat by Shubman Gill, Kolkata by Shreyas Iyer, and Sunrisers by Pat Cummins.
First Match at Risk Due to Rain
There is a 90% chance of rain for the opening match at Eden Gardens between KKR and RCB. The weather department has issued an orange alert, predicting a 74% chance of rain in Kolkata on Saturday. The probability of rain increases to 90% in the evening. According to the rules, the match will take place even if only five overs are completed; otherwise, it will be canceled.
New Rules Introduced This Season
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Match Fees: Players will receive ₹7.5 lakh per match, separate from their auction price. This rule applies to both domestic and foreign players.
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Slow Over Rate: The ban on captains for slow over rates has been lifted. However, captains will receive demerit points and a fine on their match fee. Last season, Hardik Pandya was banned for two matches due to this rule.
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Mid-Season Player Replacements: Teams can now replace players mid-season, but they must choose from BCCI’s ‘Registered Available Player Pool.’
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No Entry for Family in Dressing Room: Players’ family members and friends are not allowed in the dressing room. Players must travel by team bus. Such strict measures have never been enforced before.
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Purple and Orange Cap Rules: Players must wear the Orange and Purple Caps for at least two overs.
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No Practice on Match Days: Fitness tests will not be conducted on the main ground on match days.
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Two New Balls in the Second Innings: From the 11th over of the second innings, a new ball will be introduced. Bowlers can now use saliva to shine the ball.
Possible Records This Season
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Scores May Cross 300: Last season, Hyderabad reached 287 runs. Over the past two seasons, aggressive batting has increased significantly.
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Run Rates on the Rise: Compared to previous years, powerplay run rates have increased by 2.49%, middle-over run rates by 5.77%, and death-over run rates by 3.62%. Between 2022 and 2024, the overall run rate jumped by 10.8%.
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Team Valuation Milestone: For the first time, four teams—Chennai, Mumbai, RCB, and KKR—have crossed a valuation of $10 crore (approximately ₹860 crore).