India halts the lucrative IPL 2025
Progress unfolds amid the continuing military escalation between Pakistan and India.
India’s cricket governing body has postponed the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Friday that the 2025 IPL has been suspended “with immediate effect for one week” in light of the current situation with Pakistan, as stated by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
The decision was reached after discussions with the IPL Governing Council, franchise representatives, broadcasters, sponsors, and security advisors. Saikia remarked, “The Board deemed it wise to prioritize the collective interests of all stakeholders.”
Following the announcement, franchises began to disband, with players and staff making arrangements for early departures. A revised schedule will be provided after further evaluations in collaboration with the authorities, according to the statement.
All parties agreed that proceeding with the tournament under the existing circumstances was not feasible. Thursday’s IPL match was halted midway due to clashes in India’s border regions.
However, the cricket board attributed the disruption to a power outage at the stadium in Dharamsala. The world’s most lucrative cricket tournament commenced its current season on March 22, with the final scheduled for May 25, featuring matches across 13 venues nationwide.
The nuclear-armed neighbors have been engaged in conflict since Wednesday when India targeted several sites in Pakistan, alleging they were “terrorist infrastructure” following a deadly attack in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir last month.
New Delhi accused Islamabad of involvement in the Pahalgam attack, a claim Pakistan has denied, calling for an independent investigation. In response to the Indian airstrikes, Pakistan launched heavy artillery fire, while both sides accused each other on Thursday of conducting waves of drone attacks.
