The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended with immediate effect as military tensions between India and Pakistan intensify, the Indian cricket board announced on Friday. The move halts the world’s richest cricket tournament just two weeks before its scheduled finale.
According to a source familiar with the decision, the suspension was driven by mounting security concerns and the perception that continuing with the high-profile sporting event during a national conflict would be inappropriate.
“It is not appropriate at this time to continue IPL,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In a post on social media, the IPL confirmed the suspension would last for one week and came after consultations with franchise representatives, broadcasters, sponsors, and fans.
The IPL Governing Council stated that the decision followed input from multiple stakeholders, particularly franchise teams that conveyed player concerns, and reflected a broad consensus about the sensitivity of the situation.
The sudden halt is expected to impact the joint Reliance-Disney venture that holds the league’s lucrative broadcasting rights, as well as the many advertisers and sponsors who had invested heavily in the season. Match-day revenue losses are also anticipated for both the Indian cricket board and franchise owners.
The suspension follows a spike in hostilities between India and Pakistan, which began on Wednesday when India launched airstrikes on what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan, in retaliation for a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. India named two Pakistani nationals as suspects and accused Islamabad of involvement—allegations Pakistan has denied.
On Thursday night and into early Friday, India claimed Pakistani forces launched multiple drone and artillery attacks along the western border, which Pakistan also denied.
Thursday’s IPL match, held in Dharamsala, was cut short, initially attributed to a power failure, though the growing unrest in border regions is believed to have influenced the decision.
The 2025 IPL season, which began on March 22, was scheduled to conclude on May 25 with matches held across 13 venues. The pause casts uncertainty over the remainder of the tournament and the financial future of key stakeholders, including Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance group, which had recently struck an \$8.5 billion media deal with Disney to capitalize on IPL broadcasting.
