The Indian Premier League has taken off with English cricket fans and with the 18th iteration now impossible to ignore, you might wonder if you can watch the IPL for free in the UK.
So, let's take a closer look at the 2025 IPL live streams, featuring no less than 10 English players, including three – Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt – joining Indian legend Virat Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Former tournament MVPs Jos Buttler (Gujarat Titans) and Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals) are back again this year, too, with fellow World Cup winner Moeen Ali making the move from the Chennai Super Kings to reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
You can find a full list of the English players playing in this year's IPL, together with their franchises, at the bottom of this article.
But can you actually see them smashing sixes and stumps on the subcontinent from the comfort of your own home? And is there a way to watch IPL cricket for free in the UK? We'll tell you all you need to know...
How to watch IPL in the UK
Sky Sports has long been the exclusive IPL broadcaster in the UK and, in 2024, committed to show it for a further four seasons until the end of the 2027 tournament.
That means you'll need access to a Sky TV package that includes Sky Sports channels in order to watch every game. Packages start from £22 per month and subscribers can also watch online and on mobile devices thanks to its Sky Go app.
Don't want to commit to a full Sky plan? A Now Sports Membership offers more flexibility, with prices from £14.99 per day or a monthly tariff from £26.
Can I watch the IPL for free in the UK?
The official IPL broadcasters in the UK – Sky and Now – are both pay-to-view broadcasters, and neither features a free trial.
In fact, the Indian Premier League is generally on premium channels all over the world.
Except, that is, in Pakistan, where every match in the IPL is streaming for FREE on Tapmad.
Tapmad shows IPL matches for free via the web, its app and on smart TVs.
Tapmad is location-restricted, so you won't see the live IPL streams when visiting the site from outside Pakistan. However, if you are visiting the UK from Pakistan, there is a way to watch IPL for free in the UK – a VPN.
Watch free IPL live streams from abroad
If you're overseas, you'll soon discover that you're stumped; the stream will be blocked due to rights reasons.
Fortunately, there's a handy tool that you can use to get around this: a VPN (or virtual private network). VPNs work by tricking your laptop, smartphone or streaming device into thinking its in a different country altogether. So even if you're abroad, you can watch restricted streams as if you were back home.
It works the same for Pakistan nationals currently out of the country. They can set the VPN to Pakistan, and watch Tapmad without restriction.
The current MVP of VPNs is NordVPN. It's a flat-track bully when it comes to unblocking geo-restricted streaming services and has cybersecurity defences as stubborn as Geoffrey Boycott's. You can try it risk-free for 30 days and there's currently a deal that lets you save 70%. We use it regularly and it's a brilliant piece of tech.
It's really easy to use a VPN to watch IPL from anywhere.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is the best choice.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the UK and want to watch your free Tapmad stream, you'd select 'Pakistan' in the Nord app.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to the Tapmad website and watch IPL 2025 for free.
What are the benefits of a VPN?
VPNs have become a must for sports fans, with their ability to leap geographical hurdles and let users watch live action from all corners of the Earth. But there are plenty more benefits of using a VPN than simply streaming:
1. Cybersecurity – VPNs provide an extra layer of online security by encrypting all of your traffic. That means you don't have to work about hackers or snoopers when joining the internet via less secure networks.
2. Anonymity – When you use a VPN, you connect through a server with a totally different IP address to the one you'd normally use. That means there's no way of somebody else – whether that's governments, internet service providers (ISPs), or anybody else – tracing your internet use.
3. Speed – Some ISPs deliberately throttle the speed of your internet connection. It helps them to manage their network traffic, especially during peak hours. Because you'll be on a different IP address when using a VPN, though, you can avoid such restrictions.
4. Avoid restrictions – Streaming services aren't the only thing that get blocked according to your location. Some apps are banned in certain countries (WhatsApp in China, for example), while some schools and offices ban social media networks.
5. Save money – Games on Steam, streaming service subscriptions, even plane tickets – by changing up your IP address, you may be able to access cheaper prices. Plus, VPNs can help you avoid dynamic pricing in your location.
When is the 2025 IPL?
This year's Indian Premier League started on Saturday, March 22. It's set to finish with the grand final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, May 25. We've seen some great games already.
What English players are in the 2025 IPL?
Sam Curran (Chennai Super Kings)
Jamie Overton (Chennai Super Kings)
Jos Buttler (Gujarat Titans)
Moeen Ali (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Will Jacks (Mumbai Indians)
Reece Topley (Mumbai Indians)
Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals)
Jacob Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
Liam Livingstone (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
Phil Salt (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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