Cricket is a divisive sport. Some dedicated followers of all sorts of sports just can’t understand the appeal. And then there are the cricket fanatics, who follow every form of the game with a passion that’s unmatched.
The IPL might be the sweet spot for both camps. It’s got something for everyone, and it’s back for 2023.
What is the IPL?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a men’s T20 cricket tournament first held in 2008. Since it’s inception, it has quickly become one of the most popular sporting events in the calendar, with a host of stars taking part every year.
When is the IPL 2023?
After a few years of COVID-related disruption, the IPL is back for its 16th season. The league begins on March 31, with regular matches hosted across 12 venues in India until May 21. Teams will then meet in qualifiers and eliminators, with the final taking place on May 28.
Where can you watch the IPL in 2023?
Fans can watch IPL games live on a number of platforms in 2023:
Australia — Kayo Sports ($25 a month with 14-day free trial)
India — JioCinema (free livestream of every match in the 2023 season in 4K, but you’ll need an Indian phone number in order to sign up)
UK — ITVX (free but only showing 16 IPL regular season games), DAZN (£9.99 a month for the other 58 games of the season, including the semi-finals and final), or Sky Sports Cricket (£18 a month for all 74 matches live)
USA — Sling and Willow TV (from $20 a month with three-day free trial if you sign up via the mobile apps) or Yupp TV ($10 a month with 14-day free trial)
Most of these services require a subscription, unless you make the most of those free trials.
Can you stream the IPL for free?
If you’re looking to stream the IPL for free, your first stop should be ITVX. You can watch 16 IPL regular season games without spending anything. If you want to watch every game this season for free, you’ll need to be tactical with the free trials on offer from services like Kayo Sports and Sling TV.
But first, you’ll need to bypass geo-restrictions to unblock these platforms from anywhere in the world. You can’t access sites like ITVX or Sling TV from outside the country of origin, unless you use a VPN. With a VPN, you can hide your real IP address and connect to a secure server in another country. This trick means you can access the free trials of platforms like Kayo Sports without being blocked. The process is quick and easy, and thanks to money-back guarantees, you don’t need to spend anything.
What is the best VPN for streaming the IPL?
ExpressVPN is probably the best service for livestreaming the IPL due to its strong connection speeds, powerful levels of encryption, apps for all operating systems, five multi-logins, and helpful customer support. It also has a robust privacy policy.
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £84.06 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This heavily discounted plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can sign up to watch the IPL and then recover your investment with the money-back guarantee. That means you can watch the IPL for free from anywhere in the world.
Livestream the IPL for free with a streaming-friendly VPN.
