There have been concerns over the participation of foreign players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after India executed ‘Operation Sindoor’ to eliminate terrorists in response to the Pahalgam attack. Major cricket boards like the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have raised concerns over the issue.
The BCB released a press statement to address their concerns. In their statement, the BCB claimed to be in coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad to ensure the safety of their players. A couple of Bangladeshi players are part of the PSL 2025.
“The BCB is in active coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad to ensure that all necessary measures are in place to guarantee the security of our players,” the BCB stated in its press release.
Cricketers praise soldiers after Operation Sindoor
English and Bangladesh players in PSL and IPL 2025
Rishad Hossain and Nahid Rana are part of the PSL, representing Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, respectively. While no Bangladeshi player is part of the IPL 2025, many English cricketers are participating in the 18th edition of the IPL. Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals have Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer in their squads, respectively.
While Mumbai Indians have Will Jacks and Reece Topley, the Kolkata Knight Riders have Moeen Ali in their squad. While Chennai Super Kings have two English players in their squad in the form of Jamie Overton and Sam Curran. Notably, Royal Challengers Bangalore have the highest number of English players in IPL 2025.
Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, and Phil Salt are part of the league. Likewise, several English players are participating in PSL 2025, such as Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, and James Vince. The safety of all these players is treated as a major priority by the ECB.
