The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been postponed indefinitely in view of the tension and war-like situation between India and Pakistan. The BCCI has said that it does not look good for cricket to go on when the country is fighting a war. The foreign players participating in the IPL were worried. This is also believed to be a major reason for the suspension of the league.
Tensions are running high after India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ on terror camps in Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent failed audacity by the neighbouring country to target Indian cities. There were already speculations that the IPL could be cancelled, suspended or the remaining matches could be moved out of India.
The match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on Thursday was called off after air strike warnings in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot. Since then, uncertainty has been looming over the future of the edition. “It doesn’t look good if cricket is going on when there is a war going on in the country,” a BCCI official told PTI.
58 matches have been played so far in IPL season-18, while 12 matches of the league stage are remaining. 10 teams are participating in the IPL, which started on March 22. A total of 74 matches were to be played including the final. According to the scheduled schedule, the final was to be played at Eden Gardens on May 25.
When will the remaining part of the IPL be played? Will it be played or not? Will the remaining matches be held in some specific stadiums or can they be shifted abroad? Many such questions still remain. At present the league has been postponed indefinitely due to security reasons. The tension between India and Pakistan is increasing day by day. In view of this, BCCI has suspended IPL 2025 for the time being. Now there is suspense on when these matches will be held.
India and Pakistan have been attacking each other with drones. This has affected the cricket. The IPL and PSL going on in both the countries have been stopped for the time being. There are still 16 matches left in IPL. Now BCCI has taken a big decision to suspend this season for the time being. When will the remaining matches of IPL be held, this is the biggest question.
When will the remaining IPL matches be held?
Till now 58 matches have been played. While 74 matches are to be held in this season. That is, 16 matches are still left. Now these matches will have to be held on some other date, for which about two weeks of time will be needed. In such a situation, BCCI will have to take out a new window. The Indian team has a very busy schedule. Team India is touring England in June and will play a five-Test series. This series will go on till August. After this, India has to play against Bangladesh.
However, whether this series will happen or not is still a mystery, because India is also in tension with Bangladesh. If India does not participate in Bangladesh and Asia Cup, then it can hold the remaining matches of IPL in the meantime, but other teams will be busy in other series during this time. It is important to mention here that boards of other countries also do not hold any series of their own during IPL.
From August, teams of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies will get busy in cricket. Matches are to be held between South Africa and England in September. India has to play Asia Cup during this time, but now there is doubt over the tournament happening. Along with this, a series is to be held between England and South Africa. In such a situation, finding a window for IPL will be a difficult challenge for BCCI.
The IPL was suspended for a week on Friday due to the military confrontation between India and Pakistan, after which speculation has intensified that if the remaining matches of IPL 2025 could not be held in India, then what options will be available to the BCCI. Former cricketer Michael Vaughan had offered to organize IPL matches in England, after which, the England and Wales Cricket Board has held talks with the BCCI regarding the organization of the tournament.
According to English magazine The Cricketer, the ECB contacted the BCCI on Friday evening. However, there has been no statement from the BCCI regarding this. BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia said in a statement issued on Friday that IPL 2025 has been postponed for a week with immediate effect. The decision to postpone the IPL for a week was taken by the senior officials of the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council after consultation with all the major stakeholders.
Also Read: PSL 2025 Shifted to Dubai, After Pakistan Being Drone Attacked by India
The future of the current IPL was clouded with uncertainty after Thursday’s match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was called off midway in Dharamsala after air strike warnings in Jammu and Pathankot. BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia said in a release, “The BCCI has decided to postpone the remaining matches of the IPL for a week with immediate effect.” Earlier it was reported that the IPL has been postponed indefinitely.
It said, “Information about the new schedule and organization of the tournament will be given in due course. Before this, a comprehensive review of the situation will be done with the concerned officials and stakeholders.” The league was to conclude on May 25 in Kolkata. The board will try to conduct the remaining 16 matches (12 league and four knockout) on time. There is speculation that if the Asia Cup to be held in September is cancelled, then this could be an option.