March 22, 2025 - The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will kick off today with a 35-minute grand opening ceremony at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The curtain raiser will start at 6:00 pm and promises to be a visual and musical treat, as per reports.

Performers will include singers Shreya Ghoshal and Karan Aujla, actor Disha Patani and could also feature actor Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor and singer Arijit Singh.

The opening game today is between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). KKR is led by Ajinkya Rahane while RCB will be captained by Rajat Patidar.

Today’s opener could be hit by rains as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted showers for this evening threatening to spoil the season opener. An Orange alert had been issued for March 21 and 22 warning of heavy wind, hailstorms, lightning and rainfall across various districts. However, as per reports, the organisers have got contingency plans in place in case of rain disruption.