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The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been suspended by the Indian cricket board following rising tensions between the country and Pakistan, a source with direct knowledge of the situation has told Reuters.
Thursday's IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in the hill city of Dharamsala was abandoned midway amid fighting on the border regions, though the cricket board maintained the decision was due to a power failure at the stadium.
The decision left the immediate future for the money-spinning T20 tournament in doubt, though IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal and the Indian cricket board's secretary Devajit Saikia did not respond to Reuters calls.
The world's richest cricket tournament began its current season on March 22, and the final fixture was scheduled to be played on May 25, with matches being spread over 13 venues across the country.
The nuclear-armed neighbours have been locked in conflict since Wednesday, when India targeted multiple locations in Pakistan, claiming they were "terrorist infrastructure" in response to a deadly attack in Kashmir last month.
New Delhi named two Pakistani nationals as suspects and accused Islamabad of being involved in the attack, a charge Pakistan denied and sought an independent probe.
India's army said Pakistan's armed forces carried out "multiple attacks" using drones and other munitions across the entire western border on Thursday night and early Friday, a claim Pakistan denied.
Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals were both awarded one point after the decision to abandon the match, with rain and a wet outfield initially delaying the start by an 90 minutes.
“Due to a power outage in the area, one of the light towers at the HPCA stadium malfunctioned," the IPL said in a statement. "BCCI regrets the inconvenience caused to the in-stadium attendees.”
It was the final game of the season in Dharamsala, with the IPL shifting Punjab’s scheduled game on Sunday against Mumbai Indians to Ahmedabad over the India-Pakistan tensions.
Airports in Dharamsala and Chandigarh, where the Punjab Kings are based, have been closed for civilian and commercial purposes since Wednesday, with more airports in India’s northwestern corridor also closed off.
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