The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly shortlisted Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 if the marquee event resumes in May after being suspended on Friday amid a war-like situation between India and Pakistan.
ESPN Cricinfo reported that the IPL chose the three southern Indian cities as part of a likely plan in case it gets the nod from the Indian government to resume the tournament.
BCCI suspended the IPL 2025 for a week because of cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan over the past few days. However, it is yet to be confirmed that if the BCCI has decided on a cut-off date to decide whether to resume the IPL if it were to take place in May.
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Cricinfo also reported that despite the proactive steps in keeping the three venues ready, the BCCI officials acknowledged the difficulty of resuming the IPL quickly in the current environment. Franchise officials were informally informed of this on Friday, and several team officials indicated that the remainder of the season could be played later in the year.
However, if IPL 2025 resumes in May, then the biggest challenge will be to get overseas players to return. Soon after the suspension, teams started disbanding, and players started to get on the next available flights to their respective destinations. A majority of the overseas players are expected to leave India by the end of Saturday.
IPL 2025 has witnessed 57 matches of the tournament, and the 58th was going on on May 8 between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala, which was called off after 10.1 overs of play. The final call is yet to be taken on whether that match would be replayed.
There are 12 league matches remaining, and then the four playoffs. Originally, Hyderabad was meant to host the first qualifier and the eliminator, with Kolkata hosting the second qualifier and the final.