The Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought a new revolution in the world of cricket and one of the best and biggest investment of BCCI. This league is like a festival of cricket which enjoyed and watched by millions of people all over India. In every family, the IPL is watched and the reasons are popularity of star players and face-paced t20 format. In addition to that, BCCI makes it even more exciting with new rules and innovations. Let’s have a look at major differences between IPL 2024 and IPL 2025 – what rules have been changed by the BCCI in season 18 of IPL?
Tournament schedule and dates
IPL 2024 was held between March 22 and May 26, 2024. During this, 74 matches were played in 13 cities, and the final was held in Chennai, where Chennai Super Kings retained their title. At the same time, IPL 2025 is being held from March 22 to May 25, 2025. This time the final will be held a day earlier, i.e. on May 25 instead of May 26.
The final and opening match of IPL 2025 will be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the champions of last year. There has also been a change in the venue of the playoff matches. Qualifier 1 and Eliminator will be held in Hyderabad, while Qualifier 2 and the final will be played in Kolkata.
Mega Auction and Player Retention
IPL 2024 had a mini auction in Dubai in December 2023, in which teams retained their core players. At that time the salary cap of the teams was Rs 100 crore. But IPL 2025 had a mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in November 2024, which was held outside India for the first time. This time teams could retain a maximum of 6 players, out of which 5 could be capped and 2 uncapped players. The salary cap has increased to Rs 120 crore, and a match fee system of Rs 7.5 lakh per match has also been introduced. This change has been made to give financial flexibility to the teams and better incentives to the players.
Team Captaincy and Management
Captains like Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK), Hardik Pandya (MI), Pat Cummins (SRH), Shubman Gill (GT), and Sanju Samson (RR) led their teams in IPL 2024. KKR’s Shreyas Iyer led the team to the title. But IPL 2025 has seen major changes in captaincy. Ajinkya Rahane (KKR), Rishabh Pant (LSG), Shreyas Iyer (PBKS), Rajat Patidar (RCB), and Axar Patel (DC) are handling the new captaincy responsibilities. At the same time, Cummins, Gill, Pandya, Samson, and Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) remain in their roles. This change has happened due to the mega auction, which has brought major changes in the roster of the teams.
Broadcasting rights
In IPL 2024, Star Sports handled the TV broadcasting, while digital streaming was available on JioCinema. But in IPL 2025, after the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, JioHotstar has acquired the digital rights, while TV broadcasting is still with Star Sports. This change is the result of the corporate merger, allowing viewers to get all the features on a single platform. So this, fans can watch IPL Live for free on JioHotstar!
New rules and innovations in IPL 2025
In IPL 2024, two bouncers per over were allowed, and the impact player rule was continued. But several new rules have been included in IPL 2025. These include:
- As per the guidelines set by BCCI (published by NDTV sports), players are not allowed to wear sleeveless jerseys during presentations.
- No family in dressing rooms, even on practice days.
- As confirmed by By HT Sports Desk, now the players must use the team bus for travel.
- Fines for missing accreditation ID cards
- Batters to be warned against hitting LED boards
- Two ball rules: Now in the evening match, the bowling team in second inning can opt for second new ball. For this dew conditions will be checked by on-field umpires (From the 11th over of the second innings ), and if ball change is required then second ball will be issued!
- The use of saliva on the ball was banned in IPL 2020, but now the use of saliva on the ball has been allowed in IPL 2025. The saliva ban is now revoked!
- Apart form that, BCCI also confirmed that now no captain will be banned due to slow over rate in Indian Premier League.
The rule related to “Warnings for batters hitting LED boards” looks bit weird and debatable because it restricts the batters’ potential do not hit in the particular area. When asked by the players what’s the solution for this, then it is advised the batters might avoid lofted shots.
Player workload management
IPL 2024 had 74 matches, and in 2025 too, the number of matches has been kept at 74 instead of increasing it. This decision has been taken keeping in mind the workload of the players, as the cricket calendar is already quite busy. The move seems justified considering the deadlines with tournaments like the Pakistan Super League and the ICC Champions Trophy and other important bilateral ODI and test series.
Conclusion
IPL 2025 has seen a new structure with a mega auction, increased salary cap, new captaincy, and strict rules. There have also been changes to the tournament schedule and the venue of the playoffs, making it different from last year’s edition. All these changes have been made to balance the tradition, innovation, and stability of the players of the league. This 18th season of IPL will definitely bring another memorable experience for cricket lovers.
