BCCI suspends IPL 2025 amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has indefinitely suspended the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

The decision, announced on Friday after an emergency meeting with tournament officials. The suspension leaves 12 league matches and four knockout games, including the final set for May 25 in Kolkata, in limbo.

The move comes a day after the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala was abandoned midway on May 8, with spectators evacuated. A senior BCCI official said, “Continuing cricket while the nation faces conflict is inappropriate.”

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially announced the relocation of the remaining eight fixtures of the HBL Pakistan Super League season 10 (PSL 10) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The announcement comes by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi after India launched drone attacks in several major cities of Pakistan, including Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalpur and Karachi.

The matches, originally scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Multan, have been moved in response to what the PCB termed a “dangerous and irresponsible” act by India—targeting Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The development came after India launched drone attacks in several major cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Attock, Bahawalpur and Karachi.

Click here for latest development on Pakistan-India escalation

In a press briefing on Thursday, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that one civilian embraced martyrdom, while four soldiers injured in Indian drone attacks on Pakistan soil.

He said that India attempted aggression on the night of May 7-8, targeting civilian areas and mosques in a serious violation of Pakistan’s airspace.

On May 7, the Pakistan armed forces shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, a combat drone, and destroyed brigade headquarters, including a number of checkposts along Loc, after New Delhi carried out missile strikes in cities of Punjab and AJK, confirmed DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed.