'No DJs, no dancing girls': Gavaskar urges BCCI as IPL resumes May 17

NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to resume on May 17 after a week-long suspension triggered by escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

(RCB) will host defending champions

Kolkata Knight Riders

(KKR) at the

M Chinnaswamy Stadium

in the first match of the resumption.As cricket returns, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for a subdued atmosphere in the remaining matches to honour the sentiments of grieving families following recent terror attacks in Kashmir. Gavaskar’s appeal comes in the wake of ‘Operation Sindoor’, a retaliatory Indian military strike against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after a deadly attack in Pahalgam.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking to Sports Today, Gavaskar said: "I would sincerely hope, because of what has happened and some families have lost their near and dear ones, there is no music. Let’s not have the DJs screaming in the middle of an over."

Who's that IPL player?He added, “Let the games be played. Let the crowds come in. But just cricket — no dancing girls, nothing. That would be a really nice way to respect the sentiment of the families.”

Gavaskar also endorsed the one-week suspension of the tournament, stating, “With hostilities, there was no place for sport. But now that there is a ceasefire, the tournament can resume.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the revised IPL schedule on Monday night. A total of 17 matches will be played across six venues, culminating in the final on June 3.