India has suspended its top cricket tournament, the hugely popular Indian Premier League, over rising tensions with Pakistan.
The news comes a day after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates after a drone fell within the Rawalpindi Stadium complex, which Pakistan says was from India.
Thursday’s incident happened hours before a match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi – that involved three English players James Vince, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Luke Wood – was due to take place. It was later postponed.
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The IPL suspension comes after a fixture between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at a stadium in Dharamshala was abandoned on Thursday evening when the power went out during a government-mandated blackout.
An IPL statement read: “The remainder of ongoing IPL 2025 suspended with immediate effect for one week.
“The decision 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.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
Overnight, artillery exchanges between the two nuclear-armed countries were reported across the frontier in Kashmir.
The IPL attracts many of the top players in the world and has an estimated viewership of 500 million people.
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“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,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.
“While cricket remains a national passion, there is nothing greater than the nation and its sovereignty, integrity, and security of our country,” the BCCI added.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said on Friday morning there has been regular dialogue with the 10 English players involved in the IPL.
Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Reece Topley, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton have all featured this year.
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The developments come weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. In response, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Islamabad-administered parts of the disputed region.
On Wednesday, India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has since vowed that India will “now have to pay the price” for their “blatant mistake,” and skirmishes have also been reported along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
