We can hear the buzz of the IPL auction, which is gearing up to surprise cricket fans. The dates have been set for 24 and 25 November, with the auction happening in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The initial list of 574 players has now increased to 577, meaning all 577 players will go under the hammer, including 12 marquee names such as Jos Buttler, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul. All these players will be looking for new IPL jerseys. The list includes 367 players from India and 210 overseas players, with 4 players from associate nations. However, amidst all this excitement, there’s some interesting news that’s currently the talk of the town as the BCCI has announced the start dates for the next three seasons of the IPL, which came as a surprise to many, as such announcements are not usually made this early. But there are specific reasons behind this early announcement. Check out the start dates for all three seasons along with the crucial details.
IPL 2025 start date
Fans can mark the dates from March 14 to May 25, as, according to the release, IPL 2025 will kick off on March 14 and run until May 25. For IPL 2026, the tournament will begin on March 15, with the final scheduled for May 31. IPL 2027 will run from March 14 to May 30. According to reports, the announcement was made for various reasons. First and foremost, franchises can prepare their plans and strategize for the two-month-long league. Also, it will help international players participating in the IPL to plan their schedules, reducing the chances of players leaving the IPL midway.
Player slots left for all 10 teams ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction
Since all eyes are currently on the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction, teams have to fill a minimum of 18 spaces and a maximum of 25, depending on how many players they have retained. Let’s see how many vacancies are still left to fill for each IPL team.
| Team | Total Players | Overseas Players |
| Chennai Super Kings | 20 | 7 |
| Delhi Capitals | 21 | 7 |
| Gujarat Titans | 20 | 7 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 19 | 6 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 20 | 7 |
| Mumbai Indians | 20 | 8 |
| Punjab Kings | 23 | 8 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 22 | 8 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 19 | 7 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 20 | 5 |
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