Google on Saturday, March 22 posted a special doodle for the 18th season of the Indian Premier League, which is all set to start with a classic clash between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Eden Gardens. The current Google Doodle sees two ducks playing cricket. Seventeen years ago, Brendon McCullum’s blistering 158 in the inaugural IPL game all but set the tone for the tournament’s legacy. Over the last 17 years, IPL has become the most popular T20 league across the world and is all set to enthral India yet again with all the glitz and glamour that it has promised and delivered since 2008. While the first match is a repeat of the first game of IPL, it is one of the biggest clashes with quite a lot of history behind it. With ace India batter Virat Kohli still in the mix, all eyes will be on him with the Eden Gardens expected to be packed to the brim even though rain gods might not be very merciful on the evening. Before the opening game of IPL 2025, KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, singers Shreya Ghoshal and Karan Aujla, besides actress Disha Patani, will be present for a grand opening ceremony. After the Kolkata vs Bengaluru match on Saturday, Sunday, March 23 promises the biggest game of all, with five-time champions Chennai Super Kings taking on arch-rivals Mumbai Indians at the former’s home. Chennai finished a close fifth last season, missing out on another playoff berth by a whisker while Mumbai have a lot to prove, especially after having finished last in IPL 2024 despite boasting five trophies as well. About Google Doodle Google doodles are special alterations of the logo on Google’s homepages intended to commemorate holidays and events and with IPL being the biggest T20 league in the world, it found a special place on Google’s logo. The first Google Doodle honoured the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Burning Man event in Black Rock City, Nevada and was designed by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to notify users of their absence in case the servers crashed.