"No Compromise On Quality": IPL Chairman Promises Electrifying Restart

Soumyajit Dutta

Arun Dhumal and IPL Trophy [Source: @KKRiders/X]Arun Dhumal and IPL Trophy [Source: @KKRiders/X]

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to resume on May 17, Saturday, following a week-long suspension triggered by border tensions between India and Pakistan. Despite several overseas players withdrawing or being unavailable due to international duties, the league remains confident about upholding its competitive standards. 

IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal assured fans that the quality of the league, despite the unexpected hiatus, will not be compromised and is set to be carried out the way it was planned.

Arun Dhumal Vows High-Octane Action Upon Resumption!

Notably, organizers have navigated logistical hurdles to restart the tournament, including shifting venues to avoid early monsoon disruptions and coordinating with stakeholders to finalize revised plans. Arun Dhumal emphasized collaboration over coercion.

“Most of the players have come back, and I am sure the quality of the league will be maintained. There’s no pressure to participate. All players and boards share good relationships with the BCCI and franchises. Pressurising players to participate won’t produce good quality cricket,” Dhumal said as quoted by Cricket.com.

Reflecting on the restart challenges, Dhumal added that while they had initial problems with overseas players returning to their countries, they sorted it out with an effective plan later.

“It certainly had logistical challenges… The players had gone back. But we sat with all stakeholders and chalked out Plan B… BCCI has been successfully running the IPL for 17 years. We have seen off Covid times and that helps. This was just a stumbling block. That’s the beauty of sports — you rise after every fall,” Dhumal added.

Dhumal Clears The Air On CSA-BCCI Tussle

While uncertainties loomed during the hiatus, the BCCI’s experience in managing past challenges, such as the pandemic, helped streamline the reboot. 

South African players involved in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) Final face a potential overlap, raising questions about their availability for the IPL playoffs. Regarding negotiations with Cricket South Africa (CSA), Dhumal clarified the situation.

“We are discussing it with CSA. They have the World Test Championship final on June 11. We have requested them to let the players who are not selected stay back and let the players who are willing to stay back for the entire tournament,” Dhumal added.

With RCB vs KKR set to resume on Saturday and the Final slated for June 3, fans and cricket fanatics alike are once again ready to feast on the biggest league in cricket history.