The Indian Premier League has been suspended for one week amid the ongoing tensions between India and neighbouring Pakistan.

Overnight, India accused Pakistan of attacking three of its military bases with drones and missiles, a claim which Islamabad denied.

Pakistani authorities say 31 people have been killed and 57 injured by Indian air strikes in the country and Pakistan-administered Kashmir since Wednesday morning.

Twenty-six civilians were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir last month and India has accused Pakistan of supporting militants behind the attack – an allegation the neighbouring country has rejected.

The situation escalated on Tuesday evening when India launched a series of strikes in a move named “Operation Sindoor”.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said: “The decision was taken by the IPL Governing Council after due consultation with all key stakeholders following the representations from most of the franchisees, who conveyed the concern and sentiments of their players, and also the views of the broadcaster, sponsors and fans.

“While the BCCI reposes full faith in the strength and preparedness of our armed forces, the Board considered it prudent to act in the collective interest of all stakeholders.”

On Thursday, the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was abandoned mid-match because of floodlight failure, with players, staff and media set to be evacuated from the city, which lies close to the contested region of Kashmir.

Later on the same day, the remaining matches in the Pakistan Super League were moved to the United Arab Emirates.

The IPL, the richest franchise T20 league in the world, had been set to run until 23 May, with 16 games left to be played.

“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,” said the BCCI.

There are 10 England players – past and present – involved in this year’s tournament. They include former white-ball captain Jos Buttler, fast bowler Jofra Archer and all-rounder Jacob Bethell.

IPL matches have been staged outside India before, with the 2009 edition held in South Africa following an attack on the Sri Lankan national side in Lahore in Pakistan, while the 2020 and second half of the 2021 seasons were staged in the United Arab Emirates during the Covid-19 pandemic.

(BBC News)

Rohit Sharma has retired from Test cricket with immediate effect, meaning India will need to name a new full-time captain almost immediately after the end of IPL 2025, with India’s five-Test series in England scheduled to begin on June 20 at Headingley.

“Hello everyone I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format,” Rohit, who had retired from T20Is after India won the T20 World Cup last year with him as captain, said in a post on social media on Wednesday evening.

Rohit retires with 4301 runs in 67 Test matches, averaging 40.57 despite the poor recent run. He scored 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries over the years, with a best of 212, against South Africa in Ranchi in October 2019.

As recently as Tuesday, Gautam Gambhir, India’s head coach across the three international formats, had said in response to a question on the future of senior pros Rohit and Virat Kohli that “Till the time they are performing, they should be a part of the team. When you start and when you end is your individual decision. No coach, no selector, no BCCI can tell you when you should call it quits. If you perform, then why 40, you can jolly well play till 45, who’s stopping you?”

Rohit’s decision comes after poor home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand late last year and then a horror tour of Australia across December 2024 and January 2025, where he crossed 50 just once and averaged 10.93 from eight Test matches. India won both the Tests against Bangladesh, but were swept 3-0 by New Zealand under Rohit’s captaincy, and then lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia 3-1.

Rohit missed the first and last Tests on that tour of Australia, the first to be at home in India for the birth of his child, and the last, in Sydney, where he “stood down”. At the time, he had stressed that it was just that, a reaction to his poor batting form, not a “retirement decision”, and that he was not “going to take myself out of the game”. Jasprit Bumrah is currently India’s designated vice-captain and led in the first and last Tests in Australia in Rohit’s absence.

Speaking to Star Sports” during the Test match, Rohit had said, “I sat out of this match because runs are not coming off my bat. There is no guarantee runs won’t come five or two months down the line. I have seen a lot in cricket that life changes every second, every minute, every day.

“I have confidence in me that things can change, but at the same time I have to be realistic as well. So life won’t change by what people with a mic, pen or laptop write or say. They can’t decide when we should retire, when we should sit out, when we should captain. I am a sensible man, mature man, father of two kids. So I know what I need in life.”

Immediately after returning from Australia, Rohit played a one-off match for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in January after the selectors in coordination with BCCI made it mandatory for contracted players to feature in domestic cricket. Rohit’s batting woes continued as he made 3 and 28 against Jammu & Kashmir.

While the selectors decided to keep him as India’s captain for the Champions Trophy, Rohit was aware success in the ICC event wouldn’t guarantee his spot in the Test format. And, so, despite his leading India to the title in March, Rohit decided to bring the curtains down on his Test career.

The development comes with little over a month to go for the start of India’s five-Test tour of England on June 20. The selectors are expected to finalise the Test squad in the coming weeks, but with Rohit retiring, the biggest question for the Ajit Agarkar-led panel would be naming the next Test captain.

Bumrah is an option but putting that responsibility on a fast bowler, particularly one who has just returned from injury might not be easy. He shouldered a heavy workload during the Australia tour and was diagnosed with a stress reaction on his lower back, resulting in his being unable to bowl in the second innings of the final Test in Sydney. Bumrah missed the Champions Trophy thereafter and only resumed playing since April in the IPL where he represents Mumbai Indians.

(espncricinfo.com)

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in collaboration with the event rights holder of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) – the IPG Group, has officially announced that the franchise partnerships of the ‘Colombo Strikers’ and ‘Jaffna Kings’ have been terminated.

According to a statement issued today (April 28), the terminations were made due to the respective franchises’ failure to fulfill contractual obligations outlined in their agreements with the IPG Group, which were established at the commencement of their participation in the league.

Accordingly, the forthcoming edition of the Lanka Premier League will feature franchises representing Colombo and Jaffna under new ownership, the statement notes.

As the event rights holder, the IPG Group retains the exclusive rights over the LPL franchise teams and, accordingly, is vested with the authority to transfer and/or assign the ownership rights of the said franchises to interested parties.

Sri Lanka Cricket and The IPG Group remain committed to upholding the integrity, standards, and success of the Lanka Premier League and look forward to an exciting upcoming season with renewed participation.