Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 14: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will resume on May 17 following a week-long suspension due to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The league will restart with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hosting defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The suspension came in the wake of Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory Indian military operation targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

As cricket returns, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has appealed for a toned-down atmosphere at matches, urging organizers and fans to respect the families of those who lost their lives in the recent violence.

“I would sincerely hope, because of what has happened and some families have lost their near and dear ones, there is no music. Let’s not have the DJs screaming in the middle of an over,” Gavaskar told Sports Today.

He added, “Let the games be played. Let the crowds come in. But just cricket — no dancing girls, nothing. That would be a really nice way to respect the sentiment of the families.”

Gavaskar supported the BCCI’s earlier decision to pause the tournament, stating that sport had no place during active hostilities. “With hostilities, there was no place for sport. But now that there is a ceasefire, the tournament can resume,” he said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a revised IPL schedule on Monday night. The remaining 17 matches will be played across six venues, with the tournament finale scheduled for June 3.