PSL moved to UAE with Indian cricket authority set to make 'final decision' on IPL

Pakistan’s cricket authorities have confirmed that the remainder of the Pakistan Super League will be relocated to the UAE following a drone strike near Rawalpindi stadium, described by officials as a “deliberate attempt” by India to target players.

In India, a senior official said a decision will be made Friday as to what happens to the rest of the Indian Premier League season, after Thursday's match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala – less than 200 kilometres from the town of Jammu, where explosions were reported hours earlier – was abandoned due to apparent flood light failure.

The PSL's decision comes after Pakistan’s military intercepted and neutralised 28 Indian drones, including one shot down just outside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday morning – hours before Karachi Kings were scheduled to face Peshawar Zalmi. The match was immediately postponed.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar labelled the incident “a deliberate attempt to target domestic and foreign cricket players”, as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours reached a dangerous new low following deadly cross-border exchanges.

Pakistani forces launched several attacks using drones and other munitions along India's western border overnight, the Indian army said on X.

The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the Twenty20 league’s relocation in a statement on Friday, citing player safety as the top priority.

“Pakistan Cricket Board confirms that the remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League have been shifted to the UAE,” the statement read. “The updated schedule will be shared in due course.”

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, said the decision had been made after consultation with PSL franchise owners and foreign players.

“We have shifted the remaining matches to the UAE so that the domestic as well as foreign cricketers, who are our precious guests, can be saved from the possible reckless targeting by India,” Naqvi said.

“The PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart. However, in view of the extremely irresponsible and dangerous Indian act of targeting the stadium, the PCB has taken this decision.”

Thirty-seven overseas players, including stars from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, are currently involved in the tournament. Among them is former Australia vice-captain David Warner, who had recently returned to Pakistan after playing there in bilateral tours.

Sources told AFP that a number of foreign players had expressed serious concerns about staying in Pakistan amid escalating military tensions, prompting the PCB to act swiftly.

PSL organisers remain keen for the tournament, which has eight fixtures outstanding, to be completed, but the safety of players remains their priority.

International cricket only returned to Pakistan in 2020, more than a decade after the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore forced teams to play Pakistan fixtures in neutral venues, primarily the UAE.

The return of top-tier cricket to Pakistan was widely viewed as a major step towards normalisation, with international sides slowly regaining confidence in the country’s security arrangements. Thursday’s drone incident, however, risks undoing years of hard-earned progress.

India and Pakistan have traded accusations and fire over the past 48 hours after New Delhi carried out air strikes into Pakistani territory on Wednesday, claiming retaliation for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir – a charge Islamabad denies.

Pakistan says 31 people have been killed and 57 injured by air strikes in the country and Pakistan-administered Kashmir since Wednesday morning.

The fallout has raised fears of a wider conflict, with global powers urging restraint.

What we know about India's missile strike and Pakistan's response

02:02

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, called on India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions and avoid further escalation that could threaten regional and international peace.

“Diplomacy and dialogue remain the most effective means of peacefully resolving crises, and achieving the shared aspirations of nations for peace, stability, and prosperity,” he said in quotes carried by the Wam news agency on Tuesday.

For the PSL, meanwhile, a tournament that has fought for credibility and international relevance now finds itself once again seeking shelter in the Gulf – not for commercial reasons, but survival.

IPL decision

In India, a power failure led to the abandonment of the IPL game between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals on Thursday with both teams awarded one point.

One of the light towers at the stadium malfunctioned due to the outage, and the game was called off.

It was the last game of the season in Dharamsala after organisers shifted Punjab's scheduled game on Sunday against Mumbai Indians from Dharamsala to Ahmedabad because of India-Pakistan tensions.

The IPL cited logistical challenges on Thursday.

Airports in Dharamsala and Chandigarh – where Punjab Kings are based – have been closed for civilian and commercial purposes since Wednesday. Airports across India’s northwestern corridor have been similarly closed off.

"We are monitoring the situation, seeking the government's advice, and will take the final decision on the IPL tomorrow," Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of cricket board the BCCI, told The Indian Express on Thursday.

"The situation is changing day by day. We will do whatever we are told and inform all stakeholders.

"At the moment, our priority is the safety of all players, fans and stakeholders."

The newspaper – without disclosing its sources – said the BCCI is "keeping its options open", with suspending the world's richest cricket league or revising its itinerary among possible options.

The 10-team competition, which features numerous cricket stars from around the world, started on March 22.

The final is scheduled for May 25 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens and typically attracts a vast global television audience.