No IPL Matches in Hyderabad or Visakhapatnam, Fans Disheartened

In the backdrop of rising tensions between India and Pakistan that led to the abrupt suspension of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the tournament will resume on May 17 across six venues. As per the revised schedule finalized during an emergency meeting on Monday, the final match will be held on June 3.

For the remaining 17 matches, BCCI has selected six venues within the country: Jaipur, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Delhi. Notably, the schedule does not include any matches at the Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad or the stadium in Visakhapatnam, a development that has caused disappointment among fans in the Telugu-speaking states.

Although there was an expectation that BCCI would prioritize southern venues amidst the strained relations with Pakistan, only Bengaluru found a place on the list, while the other southern cities were excluded. It remains to be seen whether any of the playoff or final matches will be allocated to venues in southern India.

The tournament will resume with a match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 17. The revised league schedule includes two Sunday double-header matches.

According to the new timeline released by BCCI, the playoffs will begin with Qualifier 1 on May 29, followed by the Eliminator on May 30, Qualifier 2 on June 2, and the Final on June 3. However, the board has not yet confirmed the venues for these playoff matches.

"The BCCI is pleased to announce the resumption of Tata IPL 2025. After extensive consultations with the government, security agencies, and all key stakeholders, the Board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season," the cricket board stated in its official announcement.

Meanwhile, although tensions between India and Pakistan have eased, clarity is still awaited regarding the participation of overseas players. Several foreign players have already returned to their home countries. Analysts suggest that it may not be easy for the franchises to bring them back to India at this stage.

The complete revised schedule for IPL 2025 has now been released.