According to a latest report in the Indian Express, the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) match between the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) is all set to be replayed.
Also, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to display a lenient stance and not impose any sanctions on the overseas players and support staff if they opt to skip participation in the rest of the IPL.
Also Read: “BCCI is efficient”: Sourav Ganguly shuts down all panic after IPL suspension
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IPL 2025: PBKS vs DC clash called off
In the 58th match of the Indian Premier League 2025, the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) hosted the Axar Patel-led Delhi Capitals (DC) on Thursday, May 8, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.
PBKS won the toss and chose to bat first, with the rain around in the city. They got off to a good start with the young opening duo of Priyansh Arya (70 off 34) and Prabhsimran Singh (50* off 28) building a good partnership of 122 runs before Arya fell on the first ball of the 11th over.
Just after the dismissal of Arya, one of the floodlights went off, and the players were asked to leave the field. The crowd was also told to evacuate the stadium, and the match was officially called off.
This decision was made because Pakistan launched a cowardly attack on several Indian cities, including Pathankot, which is just 90 km away from the stadium. A blackout was enforced, and air raid alerts were heard in neighbouring towns. Hence, BCCI decided not to risk anything.
Meanwhile, the match between the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals will be replayed as and when the IPL 2025 restarts, according to a report in the Indian Express.
BCCI informed IPL teams about the 7-day suspension on Friday morning
An emergency governing council meeting was held after the suspension of the PBKS vs DC clash, and on Friday morning, BCCI sent a formal note to the IPL franchises on suspending the league for one week.
The decision was made public on Friday afternoon, but the IPL franchises were conveyed the message earlier to help the swift movement of players and support staff.
According to the same report, the overseas players got worried looking at the tensions between India and Pakistan and the abandonment of the Dharamsala match midway, “made matters worse”.
For now, the overseas players have been allowed to travel back to their respective countries as international flights are operational, and the BCCI is also ready to arrange chartered flights if the need arises.
Also, there was thought about sending the foreign players and coaches to another country in the close vicinity, but with no confirmed date for the resumption of IPL, they were sent home.
Players told to be ready for IPL 2025 in a week’s time
The BCCI has reportedly told the IPL teams to keep their players and support staff for the restart of the IPL 2025 in a week’s time, as they are confident of conducting the competition smoothly.
However, if the players and support staff members decide against returning for IPL 2025, the IPL Governing Council is unlikely to sanction them.
Notably, only 12 group stage games and playoffs are remaining in IPL 2025, and the BCCI is looking at a 14-day window to complete the tournament.
However, the two-week window might not be sufficient due to logistical challenges, and the chances of IPL 2025 being finished in May are very less, unless several double-headers are slotted.
Reportedly, BCCI is not planning to shift the competition overseas, and the venues like Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Kolkata will be used for the matches. Also, if the IPL 2025 doesn’t resume in the upcoming weeks, a September window might be used, with the Asia Cup all but cancelled.
