IPL 2025 likely to be shelved: Indian media

KARACHI: The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is likely to be shelved due to the rising tensions between Pakistan and India, an Indian news website reported on Thursday.

According to a report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called for an emergency meeting to discuss the future of the ongoing edition of the league as the cricket board is reportedly prioritising the safety of overseas players by sending them back to their respective countries.

This development comes just hours after the 58th match of the IPL 2025 between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was called off due to the aforementioned reason.

The match was halted after 10.1 overs of Punjab Kings’ innings as three of the four floodlight towers of the venue malfunctioned after Thangarasu Natarajan dismissed Priyansh Arya.

“The Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals match (Match#58) in Tata IPL was forced to be abandoned due to a significant technical failure at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala,” the BCCI stated.

“Due to a power outage in the area, one of the light towers at the HPCA stadium malfunctioned. BCCI regrets the inconvenience caused to the in-stadium attendees,” the statement added.

Although the BCCI, in its statement, cited technical failure as the reason behind the abrupt end of the fixture, several Indian media outlets reported that the decision was taken as a safety measure in light of the escalating tensions in the region.

According to an Indian cricket news website, spectators, fans, journalists, commentators and support staff have all been instructed to evacuate the venue.

The report further suggested that the reason behind the floodlights going off was not a technical issue but instead due to a reported blackout being announced by the local government.