The Indian Premier League (IPL) is never exciting because of its matches. Real fans know how intense things can be during an IPL match, or even before the season begins. So, aside from looking forward to how a match would end, there’s just so much more to follow and watch out for—drama included.
This year’s IPL is no different, and we’re already well in our way into mid-season, with most teams already halfway through their fixtures before the semi-finals scheduled to start on May 20, 2025. That said, we’ve already seen plenty of exciting moments, and we’re here to break them down.
Emerging Young Talents
So far, new and emerging young talents have been a delightful surprise for their teams and their fans. Here are some of the notable players we might see more of this season and in the coming IPL editions:
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Kolkata Knight Riders): Raghuvanshi has impressed everyone with two half-centuries this season. He has already delivered crucial runs for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
- Aniket Verma (Sunrisers Hyderabad): Verma has demonstrated his all-rounder abilities, including a match-winning 3-wicket haul against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). His composure under pressure has earned him praise from teammates and analysts.
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR): At just 13 years old, Suryavanshi has become the youngest player in IPL history. His debut performance showed promise, making him a player to watch in the coming years.
Their performances have sparked discussions among cricket enthusiasts, and their teams, so far, are some of the favorites to win on the best IPL betting sites. They’re players to watch out for, especially for those considering placing their bets for teams like KKR and RR.
Rajasthan Royals Releasing Jos Buttler
The announcement of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) releasing Jos Buttler ahead of the 2025 IPL mega Auction left many shocked. Some even went as far as slamming the team about this decision, like former India cricketer Robin Uthappa. “I think that’s where RR got it wrong in the auctions. I think the fact that they let the likes of Jos Butler go, Ashwin go, Yuzi Chahal go, they just left too many holes,” he said in an interview with Star Sports.
Sanju Samson, RR’s captain, also expressed how sad this has been for him and those retained. Samson said, “Jos Buttler is one of my closest friends. We played together for seven years. During this time, our batting partnership time itself is so long that we got to know each other so well.”
He added, “He has been like an older brother to me… He helped me become a good captain… Letting him go has been one of the most challenging decisions for me… If I could change one thing in the IPL, I would change the rule of releasing players every three years.”
However, some understand how this was inevitable, and that RR only made a bold move. Gujarat Titans (GT) ended up signing Buttler, and he’s been in excellent form so far, having scored two half-centuries in three matches. That includes an unbeaten 73 off 39 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he hit six sixes and five fours.
Is RR regretting his release? We’ll never know, but Buttler seems to be happy with GT. He recently expressed how he’s been enjoying the new challenge.
Bat Checks Causing Drama
This season introduced stricter bat checks to ensure compliance with new regulations, and this became quite a hot topic. The new measures require players to adhere to precise bat dimension standards, with random checks done by the umpire during matches.
The talks regarding this intensified when Rohit Sharma’s bat was declared non-compliant before a match against Chennai Super Kings. Sharma later commented that “While I understand why this rule exists, stopping play to conduct checks disrupts the momentum and affects the players’ mindset.”
The same recently happened for KKR’s Sunil Narine, who was forced to use a different bat, which he later claimed felt uncomfortable and impacted his performance.
IPL officials have already defended this move, and they’re only after ensuring fair play. Arun Dhumal, the IPL governor, addressed the matter, saying the league aims to prevent any undue advantage that oversized bats might provide. He emphasized that enforcing these rules promotes balance between batters and bowlers, ensuring the integrity of the sport.
Conclusion: More Surprises Coming Our Way?
Even if we’ve already seen some of this year’s memorable moments, there are still plenty to look forward to.
The final is scheduled on May 25, 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Until then, we still have to witness which teams will move on to the qualifiers. So, don’t miss out on any match, and watch the matches live on platforms like Jio Hotstar and channels like Star Sports in India.
