IPL 2025 News: Playoffs Venues Changed, Extra time Allocated and Digvesh Rathi Banned for One Game

By Shah Faisal 

In a significant reshuffle ahead of the business end of IPL 2025, the BCCI has confirmed that New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) and Ahmedabad will host the four playoff matches, replacing the originally scheduled venues of Kolkata and Hyderabad. The decision, announced by the IPL Governing Council, was taken due to "weather conditions and other parameters," following the brief suspension of the tournament earlier this month. 

According to the updated fixture list, Mullanpur will host Qualifier 1 on May 29 and the Eliminator on May 30. The action then shifts to Ahmedabad, where Qualifier 2 will take place on June 1, followed by the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on June 3. The venue switch is a logistical adjustment intended to mitigate further weather disruptions, with unseasonal rain affecting matches in the southern and eastern regions in recent weeks. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), too, have been affected by weather concerns. Their previous home fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders was washed out without a ball bowled. As a preventive step, RCB’s remaining home fixtures have been shifted to Lucknow. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were scheduled to fly to Bengaluru, were asked to remain in Lucknow after their match against LSG on May 19.


Digvesh Rathi Banned for One Game 

Meanwhile, off-field disciplinary action has also made headlines. Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi has been handed a one-match suspension along with a 50% fine on his match fee for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct for a third time this season. The latest infraction occurred during LSG’s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, when Rathi dismissed Abhishek Sharma and followed it with an exaggerated send-off — a wave and a symbolic "notebook" entry, a signature gesture he’s employed before. The incident escalated into a verbal altercation, requiring intervention from umpire Michael Gough. 

This episode added another demerit point to Rathi’s disciplinary record, taking his season tally to five. Under IPL regulations, four demerit points convert to a one-match suspension. All five of Rathi’s demerit points this season have been recorded under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code, which pertains to inappropriate send-offs and player conduct. 

Rathi had previously received one demerit point for charging at Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya on April 1, and two more for a similar incident involving Mumbai Indians' Naman Dhir on April 4. Despite being warned after his first offence, Rathi repeated his “notebook” act in the MI game, claiming he misunderstood the scope of his initial penalty. 

Abhishek Sharma was not let off entirely either — he was fined 25% of his match fee for his role in the exchange during the LSG vs SRH fixture.

IPL Allocated 2 Extra Hours to Help Match Completion

To help complete full 20-over matches in case of rain, the IPL has decided to allow an extra 120 minutes (two hours) for each of the remaining nine league games in the 2025 season.

Usually, this two-hour extra time, is only used during the playoffs. But with the tournament recently resuming after a week-long break—and monsoon season beginning in many parts of India—the IPL wants to give matches the best chance of being played in full.

According to the rules, evening matches normally need to finish by 10:50 PM IST, while afternoon games should end by 6:50 PM IST. With the extra time now added, matches can start as late as 5:30 PM for afternoon games or 9:30 PM for evening games and still have time for a full 20 overs per side.

If conditions only allow for a shortened game, the latest a five-over match can start is 7:56 PM for afternoon fixtures and 11:56 PM for evening fixtures, including a 10-minute break between innings.