Hosting IPL 2025 Playoffs In Chandigarh A Strong Statement To Pakistan By India- Report

The IPL 2025 playoffs, Qualifier 1 and Eliminator, will be played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh Stadium. This decision has been taken keeping in mind the rainy season settling in the original venues, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Kolkata witnessed heavy rains in recent times, and so were the predictions for Hyderabad city as well. Hence, the BCCI, while announcing the revised IPL 2025 schedule, took the playoffs from Hyderabad, who were to host the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator, and gave them to the New Chandigarh Stadium in Mullanpur.

Chandigarh, Ahmedabad assigned big matches

Similarly, the Qualifier 2 and the final were moved from Kolkata to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium with rain in mind. This was despite the opposition from the Cricket Association of Bengal, which has accused BCCI of partiality towards them.

Now, the Qualifier 1 will be played on May 29 and the Eliminator on May 30 in Mullanpur. The Qualifier 2 and the final of IPL 2025 will be played in Ahmedabad on June 1 and June 3, respectively.

Hosting IPL 2025 playoffs in Chandigarh displays India’s confidence in its enemy Pakistan

The choice to hold the IPL playoffs in Chandigarh, namely Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator, has garnered attention due to possible geopolitical overtones in addition to logistical and weather-related issues.

Sources claim that the action was meant to make a "bold statement" to Pakistan, demonstrating that India is comfortable and fearless to host major athletic events, especially in locations that are reasonably close to the international border.

This assertion implies an additional layer of symbolic assertion linked to national mood and security confidence, even if the BCCI and IPL regulatory bodies often place an emphasis on sports and logistical factors when choosing venues (such as crowd support, infrastructure, and regional representation).

Weather not the sole factor claims BCCI

“Weather was a deciding factor, but staging a match within 250 km away from the Pakistan border also tells a story about India’s confidence,” a top BCCI official told CricBlogger.

After India and Pakistan engaged in shelling, the IPL was momentarily put on hold. A missile threat that loomed big in the neighboring states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir forced the sudden cancellation of one of the league matches in Dharamshala.

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