IPL 2025 to resume on May 17; first match between Virat Kohli led RCB vs SRK's KKR [Details]

It's time to rejoice for RCB fans, as hopes are high for the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore to finally lift the IPL trophy this season. Interestingly, Kohli's jersey number 18 aligns with the 18th season of the IPL, a cosmic coincidence that fans believe could be a lucky charm, backed by countless prayers.

On Friday, the IPL 2025 season was suspended for a week due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan across the border. However, with both nations now agreeing to a ceasefire, the BCCI has announced that IPL 2025 will resume on May 17, with 17 matches to be played across six venues. The final has now been rescheduled to June 3.

The BCCI released an official statement on its social media handles, unveiling the revised timetable for IPL 2025.

The tweet read, "BCCI is pleased to announce the resumption of the TATA IPL 2025. A total of 17 matches will be played across 6 venues, starting May 17 and culminating in the final on June 3. The revised schedule includes two double-headers, which will take place on two Sundays. The playoffs are scheduled as follows.

1) Qualifier 1 – May 29

2) Eliminator – May 30

3) Qualifier 2 – June 1

4)Final – June 3

The six venues for the remaining league matches are Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. The venues for the playoff matches will be announced at a later date."

Current points table standings:

1. Gujarat Titans (GT) lead with 16 points from 11 games.
2. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), led by Virat Kohli, also have 16 points and have shown exceptional form, fueling fans' hopes for their first IPL title.
3. Punjab Kings (PBKS) sit in third place with 16 points as well but have played one more match than GT and RCB.

The last match before the suspension, between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, was called off due to security concerns. Now, with the tournament resuming on May 17, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru.

Now, as the situation returns to normalcy, cricket fans can look forward to an uninterrupted, thrilling IPL season.