IPL 2025 Suspended As India-Pakistan Tensions Hit World's Biggest Cricket League
The Indian Premier League—the world's biggest and most valuable cricket league—has been suspended for at least a week, officials announced on Friday, due to security concerns triggered by ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, as both sides accuse each other of attempting a series of drone attacks on each other's territory.
A worker removes the equipment placed next to the stumps after the authorities asked to evacuate the ... More stadium during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, India.
In an official statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the decision to 'suspend the remainder of the ongoing…IPL 2025 with immediate effect for one week.'
The BCCI said the IPL's governing council made the call after consulting with the league's franchises, who conveyed the concern and sentiments of their players.'
On Thursday, a league game being played in the north Indian mountain resort town of Dharamshala was called off abruptly after only an hour of play, as India accused Pakistan of launching aerial drone and artillery attacks near the border regions.
Before its suspension, the league was approaching its final phase, with the Playoffs and the subsequent final scheduled to take place in two weeks.
If the league's suspension lasts longer than a week, the cricket board could be forced to postpone the remaining games to later in the year due to the packed international cricket calendar.
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Pakistan players have not been allowed to participate in the Indian Premier League since its second season in 2009—after the previous year's terrorist attacks on Mumbai. The Pakistan Cricket Board, therefore, runs its own Pakistan Super League, which ran parallel with the IPL this year. The PSL has also been disrupted by the tensions. The league's officials were forced to relocate one game after the cricket stadium in Rawalpindi was allegedly struck by an Indian drone. On Friday, however, league officials announced plans to move the remainder of the PSL games to the UAE for security reasons.
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