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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to resume on May 17, with the final scheduled for June 3, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday. The league, which was suspended last Friday due to escalating hostilities between India and Pakistan, will now continue at six selected venues, with the locations for the playoffs yet to be finalized.

Following the ceasefire announcement between India and Pakistan, the BCCI held urgent consultations with the government to restart the tournament. As a result, the revised schedule was confirmed, beginning with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders on May 17 in Bengaluru. The following day will feature a double-header: Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings in Jaipur (afternoon) and Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans in Delhi (evening).

In addition to Bengaluru, Delhi, and Jaipur, the remaining league matches will be hosted in Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. The abandoned Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match from May 8 will now be played on May 24 in Jaipur.

The BCCI had considered relocating the remainder of the tournament to southern venues like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, away from the Line of Control. However, Chennai and Hyderabad will not host any further league matches. Kolkata was also ruled out due to unfavorable weather forecasts, according to BCCI sources.

Venue Adjustments and Team Impacts

Among teams vying for a playoff spot, Punjab Kings are the only side to lose home advantage. They were originally scheduled to host two matches in Dharamsala, including the previously abandoned game. Both of those fixtures will now be played at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Initially, the IPL was planned to conclude by May 31, but the final has now been pushed to June 3. The BCCI opted to minimize player workload in peak summer by limiting double-headers to just two Sundays (May 18 and May 25).

Other minor scheduling changes include Royal Challengers Bengaluru concluding their league campaign at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, instead of at home.

The venues for the playoffs and final—originally assigned to Hyderabad and Kolkata—are still under consideration. If these are ruled out, Ahmedabad is a strong contender, possibly sharing hosting duties with another venue.

Background and Player Concerns

The league was abruptly suspended last Thursday after tensions escalated near Pathankot, just 80 km from Dharamsala, which led to a mid-match abandonment. A drone strike in the region and a subsequent blackout prompted the BCCI to act swiftly. The following day, the league was officially paused for a week.

With the ceasefire in place by Saturday, franchises were asked to reassemble their squads by Tuesday. Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians have already resumed training, with others expected to follow by Wednesday.

However, a major concern looms over the availability of overseas players, many of whom have returned to their home countries. Notably, Australian pacers Josh Hazlewood (RCB) and Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals) are unlikely to return due to minor injuries. Both are also expected to feature in the World Test Championship Final against South Africa, starting June 11.

IPL 2025 Revised Schedule

May 17 – 7:30 PM IST – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru

May 18 – 3:30 PM IST – Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, Jaipur

May 18 – 7:30 PM IST – Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans, Delhi

May 19 – 7:30 PM IST – Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow

May 20 – 7:30 PM IST – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Delhi

May 21 – 7:30 PM IST – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Mumbai

May 22 – 7:30 PM IST – Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants, Ahmedabad

May 23 – 7:30 PM IST – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bengaluru

May 24 – 7:30 PM IST – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Jaipur

May 25 – 3:30 PM IST – Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad

May 25 – 7:30 PM IST – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi

May 26 – 7:30 PM IST – Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Jaipur

May 27 – 7:30 PM IST – Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Lucknow

Playoffs Schedule

May 29 – 7:30 PM IST – Qualifier 1

May 30 – 7:30 PM IST – Eliminator

June 1 – 7:30 PM IST – Qualifier 2

June 3 – 7:30 PM IST – Final

The Ministry of Defence has urged media outlets, digital platforms, and individuals to refrain from live coverage or real-time reporting of defence operations and troop movements.

Citing the risks to operational success and personnel safety, the Ministry highlighted past incidents — including the Kargil War, the 26/11 attacks, and the Kandahar hijacking — where premature information disclosure had severe consequences.

"Under Clause 6(1)(p) of the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021, only authorised officials are permitted to release updates during anti-terror operations," the Ministry stressed. It called for responsible reporting and greater sensitivity towards national security concerns.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level review of the country’s security situation on Friday (May 9, 2025) at South Block in New Delhi, following the foiled large-scale drone strike launched by Pakistan on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by senior military leadership, including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, and Defence Secretary RK Singh.

The security review comes in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, in which Indian Armed Forces struck nine terror infrastructures across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, prompting Pakistan’s attempted retaliation.

A Haryana-based woman travel blogger was arrested for allegedly spying and passing sensitive information to Pakistani operatives, marking the third arrest from Haryana this week after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire.

Travel blogger Jyoti Malhotra, a resident of Hisar, was arrested after she confessed to sharing sensitive information with Pakistani operatives. She was booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act. She has been placed under five-day police remand.

Confirming her arrest, Hisar police spokesman Vikas Kumar said that Jyoti Malhotra was taken into custody and officials are questioning her to gather more details.

An FIR was registered at Hisar Civil Lines police station based on a complaint lodged by sub-inspector Sanjay. According to the FIR, the blogger visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023, where she came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in New Delhi.

“The woman revealed that she remained in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish and during her Pakistan visit in 2023 , she met Ali Ehwan, who ensured my staying and travelling in Pakistan. Ehwan introduced her to Pakistani security and intelligence officials, where she also met with Shakir and Rana Shahbaz,” the FIR reads. 

"The blogger had saved Shakir’s name with ‘ Jatt Randhawa’ so that no one could create doubt on her. After returning from Pakistan in 2023, she remained in touch with all the operatives on encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat,” the police FIR added. 

The woman blogger had visited Pakistan twice in 2023. Jyoti Malhotra ran the YouTube channel “Travel with Jo.” She is part of a network that spanned across Haryana and Punjab, with key operatives acting as agents, financial conduits, and informants.

Danish, who has since been declared persona non grata by the Indian government and expelled on May 13, 2025, allegedly introduced Jyoti to multiple Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).

She allegedly shared sensitive information concerning Indian locations and was actively used to project a positive image of Pakistan on social media. 

Investigators say she also entered into an intimate relationship with a PIO and even travelled to Bali, Indonesia with him. During Danish’s stay in Delhi, she continued coordinating with him, further raising suspicions.