IPL 2025: Why are there 14 league matches despite 10 playing teams? Explained

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) is off to an explosive start, with a high-chase and high-voltage encounter between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) from yesterday being the best example of it.

Amid the proceeding league stage, a familiar question rises among fans: with 10 franchises in the fray, why does each team still play only 14 league matches? Further, if each team were to play one another twice, there should be 18 league matches for each.

The answer lies in a cleverly designed format that balances competition, tradition, and broadcast logistics.

The Seeded Grouping Format

The IPL 2025 follows a format introduced after the addition of the Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants in 2022. The 10 teams are split into two groups of five each, based on seeding that reflects historical performance such as titles won and final appearances.

Heavyweights Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with five titles each, are placed in separate groups as top seeds.

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How the 14 Matches Work Out

Each team plays:

The four other teams in its group twice (home and away) = 8 matches

The team in the same row of the opposite group twice = 2 matches

The remaining four teams from the other group once = 4 matches

This 8 + 2 + 4 breakdown adds up to 14 league matches for every team.

Take Rajasthan Royals (RR) as an example. Grouped with CSK, RCB, PBKS, and KKR, they face each of these sides home and away. From the other group, they play Gujarat Titans (GT) twice, their row counterpart, and then play MI, DC, SRH, and LSG once.

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Balancing Legacy and Fairness

The BCCI's format ensures that legacy rivalries like MI vs CSK are preserved while allowing space for emerging contests and equitable representation across teams. Additionally, this approach maintains the competitive spirit and variety that fans expect from a premier T20 league.

The 14-match structure is crafted with both fairness and spectacle in mind. Each franchise gets a mix of home and away games, divided between familiar opponents in its group and fresh challenges from the other group.

Such a format not only keeps the schedule manageable but also allows for a refreshing diversity in fixtures. It ensures that each team gets an equal opportunity to showcase their skills against both familiar foes and new contenders, all while retaining the excitement and unpredictability that define the IPL.