'Operation Sindoor': Will Indian military strikes in Lahore, Rawalpindi bring curtains down on PSL 2025?

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called an emergency meeting to discuss the future of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) in light of ongoing tensions with India. Indian drones had hit targets in Lahore on the early hours of Thursday and some of the foreign cricketers in Pakistan want to return home in light of the conflict between the two neighbours.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was hit by one of the drones -- only hours before it was scheduled to host a PSL game. Peshawar Zalmi were to take on  Karachi Kings at 8:00 PM today but the Indian assault will force the organisers to reconsider the fixtures. The PSL T20 tournament, which features six franchises, is currently being held in Rawalpindi. It is scheduled to wind up on May 18 in Lahore, which is also good news for PCB. 

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While the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was hit, Lahore's air-defence capabilities were neutralised in Thursday morning's attack, New Delhi claimed. 

 

According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), PCB sources said the body would follow the advice from the government on continuing the league and it would be holding discussions later on Thursday.

 

"The meeting will review the situation because of the number of drone attacks by India since Wednesday especially in the Punjab province," the source said.

 

PSL CEO Salman Naseer also met with the overseas players in Rawalpindi and assured them that they had nothing to worry about as the PCB is closely monitoring the situation.

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Some of the big international names who have signed up for the league are David Warner (Karachi Kings), Jason Holder (Islamabad United), and Rassie van der Dussen (Islamabad United) among others.

 

"Naturally the current scenario may have come under discussion.The players have been given a heavy security blanket by the Pakistan Army," PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said.

 

"There have been surgical strikes on both sides of the border but we don't expect that to affect the PSL. But if, God forbid, things do escalate, we will sit together to decide our next step," he added.

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India's military strikes are in retaliation to the April 22 terrorist attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down in south Kashmir's Pahalgam.

 

After successful missile attacks on nine locations in Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure, India on Thursday said it foiled attempts by the Pakistani military to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India using drones and missiles.

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