What could have been better in BCCI's IPL 2025 schedule planning?

IPL Trophy. (Source:IPL)

The 2025 edition of the is on its last lap as two teams are fighting for the one remaining spot in the playoffs. This IPL season hit an unexpected roadblock when the tournament was suspended for a week following the cross-border tension between India and Pakistan.

The league resumed on Saturday, May 17. Since the resumption, Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have booked their tickets to the playoffs, while Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) joined Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as teams eliminated from the playoff race.

Now, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are in contention for the last spot in the playoffs. One point separates the two teams who have played the same number of matches (12).

A lot of questions have been asked about BCCI's scheduling, especially in the second phase of the tournament. What went wrong? CricTracker discusses below:

What Could Have Been Better in BCCI’s IPL 2025 Scheduling? Better communication with host teams

The KKR versus LSG match was scheduled to be held on April 6 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. However, it was rescheduled to April 8 due to security concerns related to Ram Navami celebrations in the City of Joy. Local authorities stated that they would not be able to provide sufficient security for both the religious festivities as well as the IPL encounter. This led to a rescheduling, and Tuesday (April 8) witnessed a double header.

However, more fans would have been able to flock to the stadium had it been played at the weekend, especially because it was an afternoon game. Better communication beforehand with hosts KKR would have helped BCCI avoid rescheduling the fixture in the middle of the tournament.

Travel fatigue for MI?

Mumbai Indians have had a rather tough schedule to contend with in IPL 2025. They have been constantly alternating between home and away games throughout the round-robin stage. The five-time champions will be in action on May 21. This will be the first time they will be playing consecutive home games. The excessive travelling can lead to fatigue in the players, especially in the hot and humid conditions in most parts of India at this time of the year.

Overlap with international fixtures

The IPL 2025 final was postponed from May 25 to June 3 due to the India-Pakistan conflict. This postponement led to the latter half of the tournament clashing with important international fixtures. The West Indies are set to play England from May 29. South Africa, on the other hand, will be starting their preparations for the impending World Test Championship (WTC) final soon. The Proteas players will be returning to the Rainbow Nation before the completion of the 10-team tournament. Therefore, the teams which will compete in the playoffs will be without many of their first-choice players.

Kolkata deprived of a final?

According to reports, the IPL 2025 final might move out of Kolkata and be held in Ahmedabad or Mumbai. This will be an unfortunate outcome for the many cricket aficionados in Kolkata. Weather forecasts from AccuWeather predict thunderstorms between May 29 and June 3. However, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is in talks with the BCCI to host the IPL final for the first time in 12 years.

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Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has also said in an interview that he is trying his best to keep the summit clash in Kolkata. As per a Revsportz report, the CAB has submitted a report from the Meteorological Department to BCCI, stating that it is unjustified to shift the IPL 2025 final from Kolkata based on speculative forecasts, as predicting rain on June 3 with certainty is not possible.