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Cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended for one week amid growing security tensions between India and Pakistan.

The announcement was made today by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the situation between the countries escalates.

This comes a day after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) moved the remainder of its season to the UAE after a drone descended into the Rawalpindi Stadium complex just hours before a PSL match.  Pakistani authorities claiming the drone was from India.

On Thursday, the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was abandoned mid-match because of floodlight failure, with players, staff and media set to be evacuated from the city, which lies close to the contested region of Kashmir.

In a statement, the IPL advised “the remainder of the ongoing IPL 2025 is 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.

“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.”

The IPL, the world’s richest Twenty20 competition, had been set to run until 25th May, with 12 games remaining in the competition, along with a four-game finals series.

After the week's suspension, the BCCI plans to discuss the situation with the government, the teams, and broadcasters and hopes to announce a new schedule to complete the tournament.

The BCCI will likely explore all options to complete the season but has limited scope for rearrangement given other fixtures.

England’s upcoming test tour against India (June-August) means that the season will need to be completed by mid-June at the latest, presenting the BCCI with another dilemma.

The BCCI could be forced to follow in the footsteps of the PSL and relocate its remaining matches, although the UAE is now out as an option after the country hosted the 2020 and the second half of the 2021 seasons during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2009, the IPL was held in South Africa due to security concerns surrounding India's elections, but the country is unlikely to step in at short notice with its domestic season now concluded and grounds potentially not ready to host matches.

The tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated after India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan's Punjab province and Pakistan-administered parts of Kashmir.

Image credit: Shutterstock.

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