The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended for a week on Friday due to the escalating military standoff between India and Pakistan and the BCCI said that while the country is facing unjustified cross-border attacks while responding to terror attacks, national interest is paramount.
The future of the ongoing IPL has been under a cloud of uncertainty since Thursday’s match between the Punjab Kings and the Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was canceled midway following an airstrike warning in Jammu and Pathankot. BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia said in a statement, ‘BCCI has decided to postpone the remaining matches of the IPL for one week with immediate effect.’
Earlier it was reported that the IPL has been postponed indefinitely. It said, ‘Information about the new program and the organization of the tournament will be given in due course. Before this, a comprehensive review of the situation will be conducted with the relevant authorities and stakeholders.
The league was scheduled to conclude on May 25 in Kolkata. The board will try to arrange the remaining 16 matches (12 league and four knockouts) on time. There are speculations that if the Asia Cup in September is cancelled, then this could be an option.’ The board’s statement said, ‘BCCI stands with the country at this critical juncture. We express our solidarity with the Government of India, the armed forces and the people of the country.’
It said, ‘The Board salutes the bravery, courage and selfless service of our armed forces whose heroic efforts under Operation Sindoor inspire the defense of the nation and who are giving a strong response to the recent terrorist attacks and unjustified attacks by the Pakistan Armed Forces.’ The board said that cricket is the passion of the country but it is not more than the integrity and security of the country. It said, ‘The Board is strongly committed to support all efforts for India’s security and will always take its decisions in the best interest of the nation.’
The board thanked the stakeholders including official broadcasters, title sponsors and all partners for putting the national interest first. A fortnight after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India launched missile strikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 26 people were killed in Pahalgam attack. A blackout was imposed in several districts of India including Punjab’s Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali and the Union Territory of Chandigarh on Thursday amid air raid alarms and reports of explosion-like sounds in Jammu.
Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Super League was shifted to the United Arab Emirates after Indian drone attacks in other cities including Lahore and Rawalpindi. According to league sources, the military clash has caused a lot of anxiety among the foreign players and they will return in the next few days. Last year, 10 franchises signed 62 foreign players in the mega auction. An official of an IPL team said, ‘The players are fine but we are worried about what is happening.’
The players of Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings are currently coming to the national capital from Dharamsala by road. In the IPL, the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Joints was supposed to be played on Friday, which has now been postponed. After the suspension of the league, Lucknow Super Giants wrote on their social media page, ‘Country first.’ At the same time, Kolkata Knight Riders wrote, ‘Our shield is the Indian Army. country first.’
Cricket Australia said in Sydney that it is monitoring the situation in India and Pakistan. The New Zealand Cricketers’ Association has also expressed concern over the security situation in India and Pakistan due to the ongoing conflict. Earlier also in 2009, the IPL was held in South Africa due to security reasons in view of the Lok Sabha elections. At the same time, in 2020, the IPL was held in UAE in September due to the Corona epidemic in April and May. The next year, a tournament was held in Bio Bubble in India, but it was stopped after the players fell victim to the corona infection. The tournament was later completed in September. The Indian team will travel to England next month to play a five-match Test series that will end in August.