Cricket’s Indian Premier League to resume on May 17 after India-Pakistan ceasefire
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Fans are pictured outside the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MUMBAI – The Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, suspended for a week amid fighting between India and Pakistan, will resume on May 17 following the announcement of a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours, organisers said on May 12.
The IPL governing council took the decision to suspend the tournament on May 9 after consulting franchises and players as India and Pakistan extended their worst fighting in nearly three decades.
The IPL still has 13 group matches remaining, which will be played in the cities of Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
“After extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders, the board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season,” India’s cricket board (BCCI) said in a statement.
“A total of 17 matches will be played across six venues, starting May 17, 2025, and culminating in the final on June 3, 2025. The revised schedule includes two double-headers, which will be played on two Sundays.
“Venue details for the play-off matches will be announced at a later stage.”
An IPL match in Dharamsala on May 8 was abandoned midway through, with organisers citing a power outage, while another game at the same north Indian city was shifted to Ahmedabad because of the border tension before being postponed.
A number of non-Indian players left the country after the league’s suspension.
Cricket Australia is working with the government and the Indian board on security arrangements with several players set to make a decision on whether to return to the IPL, the governing body said on May 13.
Australia’s IPL players include Test captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head.
Indian media reported that Punjab’s coaching staff, including former Australian coach Ricky Ponting, did not leave the country.
Similarly, the England and Wales Cricket Board said it would “facilitate players’ return should they choose to go back”.
Will Jacks, along with Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer were playing in the IPL before the suspension.
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has yet to announce a date for its resumption.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially decided to move the last eight PSL games to the United Arab Emirates, but last week said it had postponed the matches on the advice of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
India and Pakistan have clashed since India struck multiple locations in Pakistan that it said were “terrorist camps” in retaliation for the deadly attack in its troubled region of Kashmir in April, in which it said Islamabad was involved.
Pakistan denied the accusation but both countries exchanged cross-border firing and shelling, sent drones and missiles into each other’s airspace and left dozens of people dead.
A fragile ceasefire was holding between the neighbours on May 11 after the agreement was reached a day earlier following diplomacy and pressure from the United States. REUTERS, AFP
