The Indian Premier League (IPL) has come under threat after the Indian government suspended the tournament due to growing tensions along the Pakistan border. In response, England has offered its support and expressed willingness to host matches of the prestigious league if the situation in the region does not stabilize, reports the Baltimore Chronicle.
This year’s season was paused after the completion of the third round of matches. The Indian authorities decided to halt all major sporting events, citing heightened security threats from the Pakistani military near the Kashmir region. According to insiders, several international players have already left the country, further fueling speculation that the league may be relocated.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that it is in talks with IPL organizers regarding the potential hosting of matches in cities such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester. Past attempts to move the IPL abroad — in South Africa in 2009 and the UAE in 2020 — are seen as successful precedents.
A representative from the ECB stated that England already has the logistics in place to accommodate such events, and strong ticket demand from the Indian diaspora would guarantee significant interest. It is also known that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is determined to complete the season at all costs, given the league’s enormous advertising revenue and its importance to India’s global sports image.
An official decision has not yet been made, but preliminary discussions are underway. Should an agreement be reached, some matches could take place in the UK as early as June this year.
Earlier we wrote that three UPL teams stop holding press conferences at home matches.