The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has been suspended “with immediate effect for one week,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed in a statement issued Friday afternoon. The development comes amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

“It does not look nice that cricket goes on while the country is at war,” a BCCI official told PTI, confirming the suspension of the league, which was to conclude on May 25 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Thursday’s IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was cancelled midway into the first innings following air raid alerts in the neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot. The future of the ongoing Indian Premier League became uncertain following cancellation of this match.

On Friday, the IPL bandwagon was in Lucknow for the game between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which now stands suspended.

Till now 58 games have been played under IPL 2025, including the one abandoned midway in Dharamsala. There are 12 games left to play in the group stage, scheduled for Lucknow (2), Hyderabad, Ahmedabad (3), Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru (2), Mumbai, Jaipur, followed by the playoffs, to be played in Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Prior to this, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had suspended the IPL during the Covid-19 pandemic. IPL 2021 was suspended after 4 players and other non-playing staff involved in the tournament tested positive for Covid-19.

Foreign players eager to return home amid Ind-Pak tension

The ongoing military confrontation between India and Pakistan had caused significant anxiety among the foreign players taking part in IPL, according to league sources and they have expressed a desire to fly back to their respective countries at the earliest. Sixty two overseas players were signed up by the 10 franchises at the mega-auction last year.

India Pakistan tension escalated

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated further on Thursday evening following a Pakistani drone and missile attack in Jammu, Punjab, and Rajasthan. On Thursday, a blackout was enforced in several districts including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali in Punjab and Union Territory Chandigarh amid air raid alarms and reports of explosion-like sounds in Jammu.

The attempted strike by Pakistan, as confirmed by the Ministry of Defence later was intercepted by Indian air defence systems, which led to blackouts, air raid sirens in several cities, and the suspension of the IPL match underway in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

This escalation comes just a day after New Delhi launched ‘Operation Sindoor’—a targeted military strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) —in retaliation for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 25 Indians.

Pakistan Super League shifted to the UAE

Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Super League was moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the news in a statement released early Friday May 9, citing growing concerns among overseas players and the need to prioritise their safety.

Pakistani cities Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore were scheduled to host the remaining games. Once logistical arrangements are completed, the final schedule, including revised dates and venues, will be announced.

PCB posted on its official website: The PCB confirms that the remaining fixtures of the HBL PSL X have been shifted to the UAE. The exact schedule of matches, outlining the dates and venues, will be shared in due course. The following fixtures will be rescheduled accordingly:

• Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi

• Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars

• Islamabad United v Karachi Kings

• Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators

• Qualifier

• Eliminator 1

• Eliminator 2

• Final