The unexpected week-long suspension of the Indian Premier League (IPL) amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan has raised concerns over India’s upcoming five-Test tour of England, set to begin on June 20. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) remains optimistic that the high-stakes series, which marks the start of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, will go ahead as scheduled.

While the IPL final was originally scheduled for May 25 in Kolkata, a seven-day delay pushes the tournament into June, potentially clashing England’s international calendar, but the ECB said there are no changes to the schedule of the five-Test series.

Advertisement

“We’re still expecting India’s five-Test tour here beginning next month to go ahead as planned,” an English cricket spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the ECB has also come up with a proposal to host the remainder of the IPL 2025 matches in the UK, should the BCCI decide to relocate. With overseas players flying out and uncertainty looming over the future of IPL 2025, ECB chief executive Richard Gould confirmed England would be willing to step in if needed.

“We will help our counterparts at the BCCI where we can,” he said as quoted by English media outlet Mail Online, acknowledging the complexities surrounding the seven-day halt.

On Friday, the IPL was suspended for one week following military escalation across the India-Pakistan border, including air raid alerts in a city less than 100 kilometres near Dharamsala, the venue of the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals that was abandoned midway into the first innings.

The league announced that the remaining 12 games of the group stage and the entire knockout phase would be postponed, with a revised schedule to be determined “after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders.”

There have been a few instances when the BCCI had to conduct the IPL outside the country due to various reasons. Since 2008, a total of four editions were completely or partially conducted outside India. In 2009, the tournament was played in South Africa due to the dates clashing with the general elections, and similarly in 2014, the first leg of the IPL was moved to the UAE. In 2020 and 2021 (second leg), the tournament was once again taken out to the UAE due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While England would offer a different logistical challenge, it could potentially be a smoother transition for the Indian players already due to arrive for the side’s five-Test tour in June. Additionally, players from Australia and South Africa will travel to England to take part in the WTC final, which will take place between June 11 and 15.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan suggested completing the IPL in the UK before India takes on the hosts in the Test series. “I wonder if it’s possible to finish the IPL in the UK.

“We have all the venues and the Indian players can then stay on for the Test series,” Vaughan said.

Foreign players leaving India

Most of the overseas players in the IPL have begun to leave the country amidst the chaos. According to reports in English media, among the 10 English players who had participated in the IPL, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, and Jacob Bethell included, many were booked on outbound flights from India on Thursday night, even before the official suspension was confirmed on Friday. A few others preferred to travel to Dubai, hoping that the tournament would resume in the next week.