"BCCI Eyes IPL 2025 Resumption in May Following Ceasefire Between India and Pakistan"

The BCCI has initiated plans to resume IPL 2025 in May following the ceasefire between India and Pakistan that came into effect on Saturday at 1130 GMT (1700 IST and 1630 PKT).

"The conflict has ended. In light of this, BCCI officials and the IPL governing council will meet tomorrow (Sunday) to discuss and decide on the best course of action," said BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla in an interview with PTI Videos. "We will explore the most suitable schedule to complete the tournament."

Sources close to ESPNcricinfo reveal that all ten IPL franchises are working to bring their overseas players and coaching staff back to India as plans are underway to restart the tournament as soon as possible. If government approval is obtained, the IPL could resume as early as May 15.

The tournament had been suspended for a week on Friday due to rising cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, which led to the abandonment of the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala on May 8 after just 10.1 overs of play.

A key challenge for the franchises now is the return of overseas players, most of whom left India between Friday and Saturday. Many franchises have contacted their players and staff, asking them to be ready to fly back to India. Some players and support staff who were already en route have been instructed to halt their travel. In one case, a franchise asked its coaching staff to delay their departure from India.

While some teams are in a more fortunate position — for example, only two overseas players of Gujarat Titans, Jos Buttler and Gerald Coetzee, have left the country — most teams are working to bring back their foreign contingent.

Despite earlier optimism, franchises have acknowledged that there are no guarantees if the season extends beyond May 25, the original date for the IPL 2025 final in Kolkata. Several players have international commitments, and the World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and South Africa begins on June 11 at Lord’s.

With 57 matches already completed, and the 58th between PBKS and DC being called off, there are still 12 league matches and four playoffs to be played. One possibility is that the remaining fixtures could be held in southern cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Seven teams are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, with only Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) eliminated from contention.

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