The Indian Premier League (IPL), the country’s top cricket tournament, has been put on hold as mounting tensions with Pakistan put people at risk. This comes as the Indian army claims it had “repulsed” drone attacks from Pakistan.
The tit-for-tat firing of weapons has resulted in an estimated “40-50 soldiers” from India being killed by retaliatory strikes. Pakistan had launched this attack after India shelled the country on Wednesday morning.
In a statement, the IPL said:
“The remainder of ongoing IPL 2025 suspended with immediate effect for one week.
“The decision was taken by the IPL Governing Council after due consultation with all key stakeholders following the representations from most of the franchisees, who conveyed the concern and sentiments of their players, and also the views of the broadcaster, sponsors and fans.”
Cricket sportsbooks look to take a hit
However, the pausing of the Indian Premier League will have a knock-on effect for the sportsbook business. The two countries’ love of cricket cannot be overstated, with the Pakistan Super League now moved to the United Arab Emirates for the remainder of the season.
In April, Betfair Exchange had its “biggest sports event of all time” with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs the Mumbai Indians. Betfair saw £218 million ($289 million) matched on the game, making it the “first time” the company has crossed that £200 million threshold.
🥇 RCB v MI
Four of the five biggest sporting events on the Betfair Exchange have been the #IPL! https://t.co/UYEVmV2JOX pic.twitter.com/WypC0bzkws
— Betfair Exchange (@BetfairExchange) April 8, 2025
The sportsbook also showed off a bar chart, showing the five biggest events the company has provided wagering for, with four stemming from the IPL. The only other game that wasn’t part of the IPL still involved Pakistan, with the Australia vs Pakistan Cricket World Cup match in 2023.
With the IPL paused, there’s potential for a massive hole in the gambling world to suddenly appear. The Blask Index, a key metric system for player interest and market moves, had found that it jumped from 1.6m to 2.39m. With the ongoing potential for an all-out war to occur, gambling on cricket might not be on people’s minds.
