The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, set to conclude on May 25, will go ahead as scheduled, a source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. (More Cricket News)
According to an ANI report, the confirmation came on Wednesday, despite the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the successful execution of Operation Sindoor earlier that morning.
Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces carry out a coordinated strike, using special precision munitions to destroy nine terror targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). This action came after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which intensified the already existing tensions between the two nations.
In response to the cross-border connections to the Pahalgam attack, India took a series of retaliatory actions against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), halting visa issuance, and closing the Wagah-Attari border, among other measures.
The IPL has faced several disruptions over the years, including postponements and venue changes, but it has never been cancelled. In 2009, the entire tournament was held in South Africa due to the Lok Sabha elections.
A similar situation in 2014 saw the first phase played in the UAE, before returning to India in May. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major shifts in 2020 and 2021, first postponing the 2020 edition to September in the UAE, and then halting the 2021 season midway in India before completing it in the UAE.
In 2022, the IPL returned to India but was limited to four cities. It was only in 2023 that the league resumed its full nationwide format.
