The 18th season of the Indian Premier League kicks off on Saturday, March 22, with the defending champs, Kolkata Knight Riders, facing the star-studded Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Kolkata. The city is bracing itself to keep the rain away for an exciting match.
Seventeen years ago, Brendon McCullum’s incredible 158 runs in the first IPL game set the stage for the tournament’s amazing history. This will mark the first time KKR and RCB meet in the opening match of a season. While everyone will be watching star player Virat Kohli, KKR’s Sunil Narine, still going strong at 36, will be someone to keep an eye on as he teams up with Varun Chakravarthy to step up after Phil Salt’s move to Bengaluru.
Read Also: IPL Opening Ceremony 2025 Performers List: Full Guest & Artist Lineup
Before the match, there’s going to be a big celebration. About an hour and a half before the game starts, KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan will give the opening speech to kick things off. Then, Kolkata’s own Shreya Ghoshal will perform, followed by actress Disha Patani. Rapper Karan Aujla will take the stage next, with Patani joining in for the final song.
Shah Rukh will make another appearance with some cricketers to celebrate the new season and chat with them. The BCCI officials and the performers will join next, followed by captains Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar. Shah Rukh will have a quick talk with both captains, and there’ll be a photo op before the toss.
Want to catch the IPL 2025 opening ceremony live?
It starts at 6 PM IST on Saturday, March 22, and you can watch it on the Star Sports Network or stream it on the JioHotstar app and website.
