Topline
The Indian Premier League—the world’s biggest and most valuable cricket league—has been suspended for at least a week, officials announced on Friday, due to security concerns triggered by ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, as both sides accuse each other of attempting a series of drone attacks on each other’s territory.
A worker removes the equipment placed next to the stumps after the authorities asked to evacuate the … More
Key Facts
In an official statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the decision to “suspend the remainder of the ongoing…IPL 2025 with immediate effect for one week.”
The BCCI said the IPL’s governing council made the call after consulting with the league’s franchises, who conveyed the concern and sentiments of their players.”
Before its suspension, the league was approaching its final phase, with the Playoffs and the subsequent final scheduled to take place in two weeks.
If the league’s suspension lasts longer than a week, the cricket board could be forced to postpone the remaining games to later in the year due to the packed international cricket calendar.
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What About The Pakistan Super League?
Pakistan players have not been allowed to participate in the Indian Premier League since its second season in 2009—after the previous year’s terrorist attacks on Mumbai. The Pakistan Cricket Board, therefore, runs its own Pakistan Super League, which ran parallel with the IPL this year. The PSL has also been disrupted by the tensions. The league’s officials were forced to relocate one game after the cricket stadium in Rawalpindi was allegedly struck by an Indian drone. On Friday, however, league officials announced plans to move the remainder of the PSL games to the UAE for security reasons.
Big Number
$15.1 million. That is the total broadcast fee earned by a single IPL game, making it one of the most valuable leagues in the world, ahead of the NBA, NHL, MLB and the English Premier League. The league’s broadcast rights are held by JioStar, a joint venture between Disney and billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio.
Key Background
The Indian military launched a series of airstrikes on what it claimed was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan early on Wednesday. New Delhi said the strikes were a response to a deadly terror attack that killed 26 civilians in a tourist resort town in Indian-administered Kashmir—which India has accused Pakistan of being involved in. The missile strikes, which were conducted under the name “Operation Sindoor,” targeted nine locations, where New Delhi alleged “terrorist attacks against India have been planned.” Indian officials insisted the strikes were “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature,” adding that they did not target any Pakistani military infrastructure. Pakistan, which has denied its involvement in the Kashmir attack, denounced the strikes, calling them an “unprovoked and blatant act of war” that “violated Pakistan’s sovereignty.” Pakistan’s leadership claimed, without sharing evidence, that it had responded to the strikes by shooting down five Indian fighter jets, a claim India has not commented on. Tensions continued to escalate on Thursday as both sides accused each other of launching a series of drone and artillery strikes against each other.
Further Reading
Pakistan Says 31 Killed After India Launches Airstrikes (Forbes)
