The Indian Premier League (IPL) was on Friday suspended indefinitely in the wake of the escalating military confrontation between India and Pakistan.
The high-profile league was scheduled to wind up on May 25 in Kolkata.
“It does not look nice that cricket goes on while the country is at war,” a BCCI official told a news agency.
A cloud of uncertainty had loomed over the future of the ongoing edition since the cancellation of Thursday’s match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala midway following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot.
Earlier, the fixture between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians was moved to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad as the government announced the closure of airspace in Dharamsala and nearby cities.
After PBKS vs DC was called off, both teams returned to their hotel. The entire contingent alongside officials and broadcast crew left Dharamsala on a special train today (May 9).
While no IPL venues were under threat, the overall sentiment potentially forced a temporary halt of the tournament to prioritise safety and national security.
India launched missile attacks on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a fortnight after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.
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On Thursday, a blackout was enforced in several districts in India, including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali in Punjab and Union Territory Chandigarh amid air raid alarms and reports of explosion-like sounds in Jammu.
