BCCI hopeful of swift IPL 2025 resumption amid border tensions

Since the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the suspension of the IPL, the rumour mills have gone into overdrive speculating about a possible window to complete the remaining matches of season 18. August, when India are to tour Bangladesh, and September, when the uncertain Asia Cup is scheduled, are being identified as potential options. But ask the right people in the BCCI, and they might point to a timeline that is not beyond May.

"We have suspended the league for one week. We are not looking beyond that at this stage," a highly-placed source in the BCCI told Cricbuzz on Friday (May 9) night. "We are serious about it. Watch out for the next three days."

Verbatim the BCCI statement reads like this: "The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to suspend the remainder of the ongoing TATA IPL 2025 with immediate effect for one week. Further updates regarding the new schedule and venues of the tournament will be announced in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders."

If one were to closely consider that detailed statement, it could suggest that the BCCI is hopeful, or perhaps quietly confident, that the border tensions, which led to the suspension, might ease in the near future. In any case, it reflects a positive outlook. The board plans to complete the remaining 16 matches within a tight 12-day window, with its focus firmly on the current month.

Should there be a ceasefire in the border in the next few days - which of course is the prerequisite for the IPL to resume - the board will fast-track the schedule with few double headers. However, if tensions do not ease soon, the situation could well be deemed a force majeure. For the record, the decision was taken at the Governing Council, which met briefly at around 10.45 am online, on Friday. But it is not difficult to see that the government has been consulted.

There remains a serious question mark over whether overseas players, many of whom are either already departing or set to leave soon, would return if the league resumes within a week. However, the BCCI views this as a matter for the franchises to handle.

At this stage, the BCCI is surely not looking at an August window (by cancelling the tour of Bangladesh) which will overlap with The Hundred (nine Englishmen are part of various IPL squads). The English league will run this year from August 5 to 31. A September window will clash with the Caribbean Premier League (currently there are eight West Indians involved in the IPL) which is from August 14 to September 21. It is not unprecedented for the CPL to accommodate a BCCI request and alter its dates but at this stage the Indian board is not looking that far, whether or not the Asia Cup takes place.

The BCCI went on to say that the nation's sovereignty is more important than cricket. "While cricket remains a national passion, there is nothing greater than the Nation and its sovereignty, integrity, and security of our country. The BCCI remains firmly committed to support all efforts that safeguard India and will always align its decisions in the best interest of the nation."

Meanwhile, the IPL teams - Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, production crew and officials reached Delhi by train. The BCCI kept the whole operation of their evacuation from Dharamsala totally under wraps. All of them were taken in buses to Jalandhar where they boarded the Vande Bharat Train.