India suspends IPL amid tensions with Pakistan

INDIA'S cricket board BCCI has suspended the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament, one of the world's richest sports leagues, amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

The board took this decision after considering various factors such as the security of international and Indian players, and whether such entertainment and sports events should continue when the military conflict between India and Pakistan is showing signs of escalation.

Thursday's match at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh had to be canceled following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot.

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 around the country.

An indefinite suspension means the Board would look to conduct the remaining matches at an opportune time, but it can be held only after the conflict de-escalates.

Twelve league matches and four knockout games are left to be played.

Among the overseas stars are Australians Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head and Mitch Marsh, while former skipper Ricky Ponting coaches Punjab.

Cricket Australia said in a statement on Friday before the suspension news: "We continue to closely monitor the situation in Pakistan and India... and are maintaining communication with our players and support staff currently in the region."

The suspension will come as a major setback for a Reliance-Disney joint venture, which has broadcast rights for the matches, and also scores of companies that have committed millions of dollars for advertising.

After striking the $8.5-billion media merger with Walt Disney last year, Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance was targeting small businesses and promoting unconventional neuroscience studies to boost its revenues from the IPL.

Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan 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 said Pakistan's armed forces carried out "multiple attacks" using drones and other munitions across the entire western border on Thursday (8) night and early Friday, a claim Pakistan denied.

At least 48 people have been killed on both sides of the border since Wednesday, in the worst violence in decades between the South Asian neighbors.