England Cricket Board offers to host remainder of IPL 2025 as several players fly back home amidst rising India-Pakistan border tensions

On May 9, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 was suspended for a week by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) due to rising military conflict on the India-Pakistan border. While it is not clear whether IPL 2025 will be able to resume under current circumstances, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has offered to host the remaining matches of the league.

The ECB chief executive Richard Gould has expressed desire to host the remainder of IPL 2025.

“We will help our counterparts at the BCCI where we can,” he said as quoted by England media, Mail Online.

The match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala was cancelled midway as there were air raids in neighbouring cities. The BCCI has said that it will announce the revised schedule in due course after reassessing the situation and talking to the franchises, stakeholders.

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If the BCCI decides to move IPL abroad, it will not be the first time. In 2009, IPL was moved to South Africa in order to avoid a clash with general elections in the country. More than a decade later, the IPL 2020 was hosted by UAE. Then, in 2021, the IPL was shifted to UAE after Covid-19 outbreak. However, none of the IPL matches have been hosted in England so far.

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Convenient for Test players of four nations

The report further states that playing the remainder of the IPL 2025 in England will allow smooth transition for Test players who will be staying back for the five-Test series against Ben Stokes-led side. In addition, a few Australian and South Africa players can also stay back in England as they gear up for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final at the Lord's Cricket Ground starting June 11.

England players on their way back

The report also said that 10 a few English cricketers including Gujarat Titans' (GT) Jos Buttler, Rajasthan Royals' (RR) pacer Jofra Archer, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Jacob Bethell and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Moeen Ali were booked on flights out of India. Meanwhile, the BCCI has asked the overseas players leaving India to be ready to return for the remainder of the league.