IPL 2025 stands suspended indefinitely, announces BCCI

In wake of Operation Sindoor, the 58th league match of the IPL 2025 between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday (May 8) was cancelled after 10.1 overs of play in the first half, after the situation in the neighbouring cities escalated. There were air raid alerts in neighbouring Indian cities of Jammu and Pathankot, and now this has put the entire league at risk of being called off.

IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the announcement of the suspension of IPL on Friday afternoon after an emergency meeting with tournament officials, citing the safety of players, support staff, and fans as the primary concern.

A senior BCCI official, confirming the development, 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.

To ensure a safe return to the teams' homes, franchises are already making arrangements to use chartered flights. As per sources, at least three franchises have informed their players and support staff that detailed plans are in place to ensure their safe return. “If players from other franchises also want to join, we would facilitate that as well. For now we are waiting to hear from the BCCI,” a franchise official said.

With 58 matches played and 12 more to go, it would be interesting to see how the BCCI takes it forward. One way is to take stock of the situation after a week and start the tournament 10 days later by having double headers, but if that cannot be done, the BCCI would have to wait to search for a window as the international calendar is packed in the coming months.