New Delhi: Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his gratitude towards the Indian armed forces as his team resumed their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sawaiman Singh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, May 18. PBKS’ last game against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamshala was called off midway due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this month.
The match between PBKS and DC at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala was abandoned after 10 overs i the first innings. While BCCI cited technical failure as the reason behind the cancellation of the game, it is understood that the decision came after Pakistan attacked the Pathankot airbase, which is less than 100km away from the match venue.
Both teams, support staff, other IPL staff and fans were evacuated from the stadium immediately as the lights went off completely. DC and PBKS were later transported safely to their respective hotels before reaching Delhi the following day on a specially-arranged Vande Bharat train. The IPL 2025 was suspended for a week, a day after PBKS vs DC was called off.
The league resumed on Saturday, May 17 with the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders getting washed out due to rain. As PBKS resumed their campaign against RR, Iyer thanked the Indian armed forces for ensuring everyone’s safety during the toss at the Sawain Mansingh Stadium.
“Kudos the army forces who have worked for the country and made sure we are in a comfortable position,” Shreyas said at toss.
Grateful to the Armed Forces.
Jai Hind 🇮🇳#TATAIPL | #RRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/OOid23RDuZ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2025
IPL 2025 resumes after a ceasefire between India and Pakistan
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to resume IPL 2025 from May 17 after a ceasefire was announced between India and Pakistan on the evening of May 1o, following days of tensions. The tensions between the two nations escalated after the Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor on May 07.
Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the barbaric terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, where 26 innocent people lost their lives. After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan violated the ceasefire across the Line of Control (LOC) and targeted multiple border states in India with missile and drone attacks.
However, the Indian armed forces ensured all attacks were neutralised to safeguard the nation. A ceasefire was announced between the two countries on May 10 which paved way for the resumption of IPL 2025.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer thanked the Indian armed forces for ensuring the safety of the nation as his team resumed their IPL 2025 campaign against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur on Sunday. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
