"There was no option but to postpone IPL in war situation" — says Sourav Ganguly

Tensions on the India-Pakistan border are at an all-time high. In this context, the BCCI has postponed the 2025 IPL for a week. After announcing this decision on Friday, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly said, "A war situation has practically arisen in the country. BCCI had to take this decision because there are many Indian and foreign players here. I hope the IPL will start again very soon because an important stage of the competition is ahead."

He also said, "Dharamsala, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan - there were matches everywhere. After the situation last night, it is very natural to take this decision. Everything will be fine with time, matches will be held again. BCCI will finish the IPL. Pakistan will not be able to bear this pressure for long."

Last Thursday, it was suddenly stopped during the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. The first innings was still underway. The spectators were asked to vacate the ground and both the teams were taken back to the hotel for security reasons.

Sanjay Sharma, a member of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, said, "The match had to be stopped midway due to the tension in India-Pakistan relations. However, this was a concern beforehand. Therefore, the Himachal Cricket Association, Punjab Kings authorities and all the operations team were in touch with the administration. The administration was fully prepared."

According to BCCI sources, arrangements were made for a 'Vande Bharat' special train to quickly bring back the cricketers and broadcasting team of Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings from Dharamsala.