IPL 2025 Playoffs brought near Pakistan to send a Strong Diplomatic Message- Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has chosen Chandigarh and Ahmedabad to host the IPL 2025 playoff games. Before the suspension of the IPL, the playoffs were scheduled to take place in Hyderabad and Kolkata.

As per a report in Cricblogger, BCCI's decision to host the playoff games in Chandigarh is a bold statement to Pakistan after what happened between India and Pakistan.

Read also: Josh Hazlewood’s return to RCB for IPL 2025 playoffs still uncertain

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Why did the Chandigarh venue draw attention?

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, will host the Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator, and the venue drew attention because the stadium is near the Pakistan border as per the report.

Chandigarh stadium draws more attention because of the geopolitical undertones. This move will send a bold statement to Pakistan as it showcases that India is not afraid of Pakistan’s terrorism and to not conduct high-profile matches near the borders.

The Mullanpur stadium is just 250 km away from the Pakistan border, and the BCCI is confident of hosting the important playoff matches in Chandigarh.

The one-week suspension forced the BCCI to change the venues of the matches, as earlier Qualifier 1 and Eliminator were set to be hosted in Hyderabad, but now the matches will be hosted in Chandigarh.

When the Indian Premier League was suspended, one of the league-stage games between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings had been halted due to security concerns, and that match was in Dharamsala.

The Mullanpur Stadium is just 200km away from the Dharamsala Stadium, which shows India’s fearless approach to conducting high-profile matches close to the border areas with proper arrangements of security for the fans.

IPL playoffs venues:

Earlier, the Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator match were set in Hyderabad, but in the revised schedule of the playoffs, the Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will be played in the Mullanpur Stadium in Chandigarh.

Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the Qualifier 2 and the final of the IPL 2025 on June 1 and 3, respectively. The original schedule of Qualifier 2 and the final was set to be hosted by the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.

The playoff venues have been finalized by also keeping the weather conditions in mind by the governing council.

IPL 2025 playoffs confirmed teams

The top 4 teams have been confirmed for the playoffs before the league stage ended. Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Mumbai Indians are the four confirmed teams for the playoffs.

But no team has confirmed their specific position in the points table, and now every team has a chance to finish the league stage in the top 2 spots in the points table, which gives a clear advantage in the playoffs.

The league stage of IPL 2025 will conclude on May 27, and the playoffs will commence on May 29 in Chandigarh.