Will IPL, PSL be affected amid souring India-Pakistan relations after Pahalgam terror attack?

India and Pakistan, two Indian subcontinent nations, are going through a rough patch currently after the recent terror attacks in the Kashmir valley. On April 22, several terrorists opened fire at innocent civilians in Pahalgam, leaving 28 killed. Following the attacks, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also warned Pakistan of 'unimaginable punishment' and immediately suspended the Indus Water Treaty of 1960. Since then, the relationship between India and Pakistan has gotten from bad to worse as both nations are leaving no stone unturned in downgrading diplomatic relations.

Amid all this, both nations are also hosting their respective cricket leagues, the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League, wherein dozens of international players are also participating. Many cricket fans are concerned that the growing tensions between India and Pakistan might affect these leagues, forcing the respective nations to suspend them indefinitely. So, what will be the future of IPL 2025 and PSL 2025 amid souring India-Pakistan tension over J&K attacks?

Will IPL 2025, PSL 2025 suspend mid-season?

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League commenced on March 22 and is scheduled to conclude on May 25, after 74 matches between 10 franchises. On the other hand, the Pakistan Super League began in the second week of April and will conclude on May 18, involving 34 games. As of now, neither country has made any official announcement regarding the suspension of these cricket leagues, but the situation at the border, also known as the Line of Control (LoC), is getting worse.

If this continues for a few more days, it will be a matter of time before the cricketing boards of both countries suspend their leagues due to security concerns. However, such live-wire relations between India and Pakistan are not new. Similar situations arose in 2016 after the Uri Attack and in 2019 after the Pulwama Attack, when the Indian Army retaliated and gave Pakistan a befitting reply militarily. But, during both those previous attacks, neither IPL nor PSL was being conducted, so right now the fate of these leagues is not known.

Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi-led Indian Government is in action mode against Pakistan as after suspending the Indus Water Treaty of 1960, the Indian Army has been given free hand, following which houses reportedly belonging to terrorists Adil Hussain Thoker and Asif Sheikh, two of the accused in the brutal Pahalgam attack, were destroyed on Friday.