BCCI following government stance on sporting ties with Pakistan: Arun Dhumal

New Delhi: IPL chairman Arun Dhumal on Friday said the BCCI is strictly adhering to the government's stance on cricketing ties with Pakistan amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and 'Operation Sindoor'.

The traditional rivals are set to clash in Dubai for the first time since the escalation of the border conflict in May when India launched strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan after 26 tourists were killed in a dastardly attack in Pahalgam.

"The government has made it very clear that we will not play bilaterals and only feature against Pakistan in multilateral tournaments. We are only following the government's advice," Dhumal said during a joint interaction with reporters at the Playcom Business of Sports Conclave.

As per a new policy announced by the government recently, India will not engage in any bilateral sporting contest with Pakistan but will continue to face the neighbours in multilateral tournaments such as the ongoing Asia Cup cricket tournament.

On the sponsorship vacuum created by fantasy sports gaming platform Dream11's exit as partner, Dhumal said that the process to finalising a replacement is already underway.

"What is done is done. We have started the process of finalising the sponsors and will get to know about it in the next 2–3 weeks," he said.

The BCCI has terminated its jersey sponsorship deal with Dream11 due to the Indian government's ban on real-money gaming, as stipulated in the new Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act.

Looking ahead to the BCCI's upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), Dhumal said clarity on the next board president will emerge within a week. He, however, refused to comment on the Royal Challengers Bangalore ownership issue, citing the matter's pendency in court.

The IPL chairman also highlighted the league's contribution in strengthening Indian cricket's talent pool.

"The quality of IPL is because of its competitiveness. Even our C team can beat the opposition. We can make an XI of the benched XI," he remarked.

Dhumal further said the league's growth has been evident from its very first season.

"From Brendon McCullum's exploits in the inaugural match to Vaibhav Suryavanshi's emergence last season as someone who broke barriers, the IPL has consistently produced moments that have elevated the game to a higher level," he added.