BCCI planning IPL 2025 Playoffs are 250 km from the border.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took fans by surprise when they announced the IPL 2025 playoffs fixtures. While the final was always going to be moved out of Kolkata, the alteration to the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator matches came as a huge shock to some. Citing logistical concerns and weather conditions, BCCI moved the first two playoffs to the New Chandigarh Stadium, Mullanpur, Punjab. It is fascinatingly less than 250 kilometres away from the Pakistan border. After so much that happened between the two countries, why did the BCCI decide on such a move?

Well, the answer could be multifold. For once, it is sensible to move the all-important IPL playoffs from a venue that has almost 60% chances of precipitation. However, there’s a motive of self-assurance and geopolitical symbolism over the move as well.

IPL 2025 playoffs: From Hyderabad to Mullanpur

The IPL playoffs (Qualifier 1 and Eliminator) were initially scheduled to take place in Hyderabad, but due to a one-week delay, the venue had to be changed. Hyderabad missed out, and so did Kolkata, which had been in the mix to host the final and Qualifier 2. Instead, Mullanpur, a new yet rapidly emerging venue, was handed the responsibility of staging the first two high-stakes knockout matches — Qualifier 1 on May 29 and the Eliminator on May 30.

While the shift comes as a piece of welcome news for fans in Punjab, the BCCI might have a motive to issue an indirect statement to Pakistan. It is quite contrasting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) once thought to shift the remaining PSL 2025 matches to the UAE, but the BCCI has reportedly shifted the high-stakes IPL 2025 matches to a venue that is around 230 kilometres from the India-Pakistan border.

A senior BCCI official, speaking anonymously, remarked to Cricblogger, “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.”