New Delhi: In light of the fresh flare-up between India and Pakistan, the governing council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has suspended the tournament for one week. The league is organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The league in a statement Friday said the call to suspend the remainder of the tournament was taken by the IPL governing council “after due consultation with all key stakeholders following the representations from most of the franchisees, who conveyed the concern and sentiments of their players, and also the views of the broadcaster, sponsors and fans…”
Adding, “…while the BCCI reposes full faith in the strength and preparedness of our armed forces, the Board considered it prudent to act in the collective interest of all stakeholders.”
Earlier in the day, a BCCI source had told ThePrint, “BCCI is tracking the evolving situation every hour. Meetings are in order. The decision will be out soon. If needed, the decision [to discontinue IPL] will be taken keeping the best interests of all stakeholders in mind.”
“The international players are in panic and it is getting difficult for the management and franchise to calm them down,” the source said.
The development comes after the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala was called off midway Thursday evening, following air raid alerts in Pathankot, located less than 100 kilometres from the venue. The reason cited by the official broadcasters was “significant technical failure” after the floodlights stopped working. Punjab Kings were 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs when the lights went out. The squads and spectators (approximately 23,000) were then evacuated from the stadium.
Punjab Kings also confirmed the development late Thursday through their official social media handle, saying: “Match has been called off.”
The BCCI has arranged a special Vande Bharat train to transport players and the entire broadcast crew from Dharamsala to Delhi.
“We are organising a special train from close to Dharamsala to bring everybody home safely. As of now, the match has been called off and the stadium has been evacuated. We will take a call on the tournament’s future depending on the situation tomorrow. As of now, players’ safety is utmost important. The match couldn’t have continued tonight because of the situation. It wasn’t safe,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told the media.
There are 16 matches yet to be played in the current edition of the cricketing league.
On the other side of the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shifted the remaining fixtures of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to the UAE, though the official schedule is yet to be announced.
Tensions escalated between India and Pakistan after India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack launched Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Islamabad has since made attempts to target military infrastructure in India’s northern and western sectors using missiles and drones.
On Thursday, India retaliated with the “same intensity”. The defence ministry said that it “has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised”. India also said that any attack on military or civilian installations will invite a suitable response.
The statement issued by IPL Friday also said, “At this critical juncture, the BCCI stands firmly with the nation. We express our solidarity with the Government of India, the Armed Forces and the people of our country. The Board salutes the bravery, courage, and selfless service of our armed forces, whose heroic efforts under Operation Sindoor continue to protect and inspire the nation, as they lead a resolute response to the recent terrorist attack and the unwarranted aggression by Pakistan’s armed forces.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)