IPL 2025 May Resume in South India Amid India-Pakistan Tensions

Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is actively formulating plans to resume the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season within May, following a one-week suspension. Reports suggest that, contingent on government approval, the BCCI has shortlisted three southern Indian cities—Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad—as the primary venues for the remaining matches.

According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the BCCI is considering conducting the 16 remaining matches of IPL Season 18, including the playoffs, in these three cities. Should this plan proceed, the final and Qualifier 2—originally scheduled to be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata—would be shifted to a different venue. As per the initial schedule, Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator were already set to be played at alternate locations, while Eden Gardens was designated to host Qualifier 2 and the final.

Although the BCCI has yet to finalize a cut-off date for the tournament's resumption in May, it has reportedly provided informal updates to the franchises. If resumption within May proves unfeasible, some franchise officials have reportedly discussed the possibility of completing the season later this year.

One of the major challenges facing the BCCI is the availability of overseas players. With many having returned to their home countries, the uncertainty over their participation in May poses a logistical hurdle for the board.

Citing the current hostilities, the IPL governing council announced a one-week suspension of the tournament. It stated that a revised schedule and venue details would be shared soon. So far, 57 matches have been completed, while the 58th match—between Punjab and Delhi—was halted midway on Thursday.

A total of 16 matches remain: 12 league matches and 4 playoff games. Originally, the IPL 2025 final was scheduled for May 25. However, with the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final set to commence on June 11, the BCCI faces pressure to arrive at a swift decision.