IPL 2025: Indian Premier League suspended for a week as India-Pakistan conflict escalates; PBKS vs DC to be replayed

A heartfelt statement from Punjab Kings after Thursday's dramatic events:

We're pleased to communicate that all our players, support staff, and everyone associated with Punjab Kings cricket operations are safe and secure. A heartfelt thank you to the BCCI, IPL, Indian Railways, Police, State authorities, and our internal operations team for ensuring the safe movement of players, coaches, families, and support staff from both Delhi Capitals & Punjab Kings, from Dharamsala to a secure location. We are especially grateful to our wing commanders for their calm and swift leadership, and to our CEO, Mr Satish Menon, whose steady guidance has been instrumental throughout this process.
It's been a standout season, for the IPL and for Punjab Kings both on and off the field, None of it would've been possible without our fans. 
Your support through every high and low has meant the world, and we're truly grateful.
We also make a humble appeal to the media, please keep the reporting calm, factual, and responsible. This isn't the moment for panic or noise. It's a moment to move forward with care and perspective.
Most importantly, in moments like these, it's important we stay united and composed. We stand firmly with our armed forces. Nation First. Always.
Yesterday's game in Dharamshala was unforgettable, from B Praak's stirring tribute to our armed forces to the electric atmosphere in the stands. Thank you once again to every single person who played a part in ensuring the safety, success, and spirit of this journey.

The IPL 2025 game between the Punjab Kings and the Delhi Capitals had to be abandoned mid-way on Thursday. On Friday, players from both teams were ferried out of Dharamsala. The official IPL handle posted a clip of players like Shreyas Iyer, Faf du Plessis and Kuldeep Yadav along with commentators like Anjum Chopra travelling home on a special train.  

"Thank you, @RailMinIndia, for arranging a special Vande Bharat train on such short notice to ferry the players, support staff, commentators, production crew members, and operations staff to New Delhi. We deeply appreciate your swift response," the IPL's official X handle wrote with a clip of the players on the train.

On Thursday, the IPL 2025 game between the Punjab Kings and the Delhi Capitals was abandoned in the middle of the game after a blackout. Here's what one of the players who was there in Dharamsala, who requested anonymity, told The Indian Express.  

“We were told about attacks in nearby Pathankot. We are asked to go back to the hotel immediately. There was some panic… Delhi Capitals were seated in the Punjab team bus and vice-versa. We wanted to go out but there was a huge crowd. The foreign players were worried, with many of them wanting to return home,” a player said.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday postponed the Pakistan Super League (PSL), hours after announcing that the T20 tournament has been shifted to the UAE because of the ongoing military conflict with India.

The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif who has kept in view the reckless aggression from India that has escalated to a point where national attention and sentiments are rightly focused on the courageous efforts of the Armed Forces of Pakistan who are vociferously upholding the sovereignty of our beloved Pakistan," PCB said in a statement said "The PCB and its players stand resolutely in solidarity with the families of the martyrs and our security personnel defending the nation," the statement added further.

After the BCCI announced that the IPL was going to be suspended for at least a week, the official broadcasters JioHotstar posted a press statement, announcing their "wholehearted support for BCCI’s decision".

Here's that the statement said: "We, at JioStar, wholeheartedly support the BCCI’s decision to suspend TATA IPL 2025 and stand firmly committed to prioritising national interest over all other considerations. At this time, we must stand united with our country, support the government and our armed forces, and extend solidarity & support to the civilians affected. We will work with the BCCI to bring back the tournament at an appropriate time. JioStar will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the transition is managed in a seamless manner and everyone involved in the tournament broadcast returns home safely."

Neeraj Chopra’s invitational javelin event – NC Classic 2025 – that was set to take place in Bengaluru later this month has been postponed until further notice, in light of escalating tension between India and Pakistan, according to a statement issued by the organisers.

Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals contingents were on Friday evacuated from Dharamsala and were escorted to the Jalandhar railway station in batches through Hoshiarpur amid tight security, Kangra's Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri has revealed. The squads are currently in transit to New Delhi aboard a special train, said the official. (PTI)

With England Cricket Board hosting the previous two World Test Championship Final and the upcoming WTC final between Australia and South Africa later in June this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had expressed interest in making a bid for hosting the WTC final in 2027. According to a report by The Guardian, the Indian board wants to stage the WTC final after the WTC cycle and had submitted the intention for the bid for the 2027 final at the meeting of the ICC Chief Executives Committee in Zimbabwe last month.

With 58 matches played and 12 more to go, it would be interesting to see how the BCCI takes it forward. One way is to take stock of the situation after a week and start the tournament 10 days later by having double headers. If that isn’t a possibility then the BCCI would have to wait to search for a window as the international calendar is packed in the coming months.

After the PBKS vs DC game was abandoned, fans, players and officials were evacuated out of the HPCA Stadium. The evacuation of players from the HPCA stadium was done so quickly that “many of the players reached the hotel with their pads still on”, write Devendra Pandey and Venkata Krishna B in their report for The Indian Express.

On Thursday night, the IPL game between Punjab Kings and the Delhi Capitals was halted mid-way through the first innings with Punjab batting on 122/1 after 10.1 overs. The game was then halted with the floodlights going off. it happened right when Punjab opener Priyansh Arya -- who scored a swashbuckling 70 off 34 balls -- was dismissed and PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer joined Prabhsimran Singh (who was unbeaten on 50 when the game was halted) out in the middle. Initially, the organisers and BCCI said that there had been a “significant technical failure at the HPCA Stadium”. After a prolonged delay, the announcement was made: the game was being called off! 

As The Indian Express' Devendra Pandey and Venkat Krishna B mentioned in their report "The players from both teams were asked to board their buses and head to the team hotel. The evacuation was so swift that many of the players reached the hotel with their pads still on."

Eventually, after a meeting on Friday, the BCCI made the decision to suspend the IPL 2025 season at least by a week.

In 2009, the entire tournament was moved to South Africa because of security issues amid the Lok Sabha elections. In 2020, the tournament was played in the UAE in September, instead of the usual April-May window, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next year, the event began in India in a bio-bubble but was halted when players began testing positive for the deadly infection. The league was eventually completed in the UAE in September that year.

Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians

Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans

Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants

Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals

Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings

Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

Qualifier 1

Eliminator

Qualifier 2

Final

The Indian armed forces launched precision missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including the strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke. The strikes were in response to the attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down.

'I wonder if it’s possible to finish the IPL in the UK .. We have all the venues and the Indian players can then stay on for the Test series .. Just a thought ?' Michael Vaughan tweets.

Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians occupy the top four spots before the remainder of the league was suspended. 

Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have officially been out of the race, while Kolkata Knight Riders, too, are practically out of playoff contention. 

Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants are still fighting for the fourth (last) spot.

Our correspondent, Venkata Krishna B, pings from Chennai. He says, "Chennai Super Kings Indian contingent are all heading back home. Deepak Hooda and Khaleel Ahmed are heading to the airport now. Their overseas players are heading back later in the night"

Official Statement from BCCI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to suspend the remainder of the ongoing TATA IPL 2025 with immediate effect for one week. Further updates regarding the new schedule and venues of the tournament will be announced in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders.

Here's BCCI's full statement

Virat Kohli also came forward with his response. 

Meanwhile, Pakistan have also shifted their PSL to the UAE amid tensions. 

Here's the full list of PSL rescheduled matches:

• Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi
• Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars
• Islamabad United v Karachi Kings
• Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators
• Qualifier
• Eliminator 1
• Eliminator 2
• Final

Former Indian Test captain, who just a few days ago announced retirement from the longest format, has voiced out his support for the Indian armed forces.

According to our reporters Devendra Pandey and Venkata Krishna B, the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals teams left Dharamsala for Delhi on Friday morning via a special train that also included the broadcast crew and match officials. 

The Press Trust of India also confirms the suspension of the Indian Premier League. We are still waiting for any official word.

In May 2021, the 14th season of the Indian Premier League was suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

IPL likely to be suspended due to India-Pakistan conflict

The Indian Premier League is likely to be suspended in the wake of the rising tensions in the border. The Indian Express understands that an official confirmation on this is imminent with the BCCI, following consultation with the Indian government, believes time is not right for the tournament to go ahead and wants to ensure the safety of the players isn’t compromised.

Ever since Punjab Kings’ match against Delhi Capitals was called-off midway through the first innings following a blackout in Dharamsala, the future of the tournament has been under question. As previously reported, the top brass of the BCCI were in line to seek the government’s advice on Friday morning. And it is understood that for the time being they have decided to suspend the IPL. “We are not sure about the future. Since there is lot of ambiguity, we can’t say what is in store next. For the time being we have to wait and watch,” sources in the board told The Indian Express.

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We have big breaking news. The Indian Premier League 2025 is likely to be suspended. Our reporters Devendra Pandey and Venkata Krishna B report. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been shifted to the UAE because of the ongoing military confrontation with India, leaving the event’s foreign players anxious.

PCB confirmed that the last eight fixtures, which were previously scheduled in Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore, will now be played in the UAE. “The PCB confirms that the remaining fixtures of the HBL PSL X have been shifted to the UAE,” PCB said in a media release.

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Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Akash Maharaj Singh/Ravi Bishnoi, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav

• Impact sub: Prince Yadav

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi/Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

• Impact sub: Suyash Sharma

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Liam Livingstone, Swapnil Singh, Mayank Agarawal, Josh Hazlewood, Philip Salt, Nuwan Thushara, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh. 

Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Shamar Joseph, Manimaran Siddharth, Aryan Juyal, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Arshin Kulkarni. 

Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals IPL 2025 match at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala abandoned

The Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was called off due to security reasons. This was after the floodlights at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala started to get switched off. According to IANS, Arun Dhumal, IPL Chairman said that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure, based on the red alert issued in Jammu.

According to PTI, the match had to be called off following air raid alerts in nearby areas, which forced a blackout in the hill town. The Punjab side was 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs when the lights went out which at first was attributed to floodlight failure. But later the teams and the spectators were evacuated from the stadium for their security.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the Indian Premier League 2025 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants, which will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday. After the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals game at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala had to be abandoned halfway through, there will still be uncertainty over this game. Stay tuned as we bring you all the live updates.