New Delhi: The Indian Premier League 2025 has been suspended following a sharp escalation in military tensions between India and Pakistan, triggered by the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. A senior BCCI official, confirming the development to PTI, remarked, “It does not look nice that cricket goes on while the country is at war.”
The suspension throws the remainder of the season, which was scheduled to conclude on May 25 in Kolkata, into complete uncertainty. Earlier, the May 8 match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was suspended midway due to air raid alerts in nearby Jammu and Pathankot. Spectators were evacuated amid fears of a possible strike, raising serious concerns about the tournament’s viability.
Although IPL chairman Arun Dhumal initially indicated that the May 9 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru would proceed as planned, the deteriorating security situation led to a reversal. “We are reviewing the situation. It is evolving rapidly. Any decision will be made in consultation with government agencies and based on logistical considerations,” Dhumal told PTI.
The decision has also drawn attention from overseas cricket boards. With numerous international players and coaches involved, Cricket Australia released a statement on Friday saying it was monitoring the situation closely and staying in touch with its personnel in India. The participating overseas players in IPL 2025 have already shown concern due to the tense situation between India and Pakistan.
Tensions escalated significantly on Wednesday night when the Pakistani Army launched a coordinated wave of drone and missile attacks targeting 15 Indian cities. Key locations hit included Awantipora and Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir; Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Adampur, and Bathinda in Punjab; Chandigarh; Nal, Phalodi, and Uttarlai in Rajasthan; and Bhuj in Gujarat.