Ahmedabad: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited the chiefs of all three Indian Armed Forces, top-ranking officers, and soldiers for the IPL final match in Ahmedabad to celebrate the success of Operation Sindoor. The match will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera on June 3.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the development, stating the gesture is meant to celebrate the successful completion of Operation Sindoor—India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

“Invitations have been extended to General Upendra Dwivedi (Army), Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi (Navy), and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh (Air Force), along with top officers and jawans,” Saikia told a news agency.

Operation Sindoor was initiated on the night of May 6-7 as a countermeasure to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. The operation led to the elimination of over 100 militants linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Following India’s response, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and attempted drone strikes. In turn, India launched coordinated strikes targeting key infrastructure across 11 Pakistani airbases. After reaching a ceasefire understanding on May 10, tensions de-escalated.

Meanwhile, in the IPL, Punjab Kings (PBKS) secured the top spot and a berth in Qualifier 1 with a victory over Mumbai Indians (MI). The first Qualifier will be held in Mullanpur on May 29, with PBKS facing either Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) or Gujarat Titans (GT). The Eliminator, also in Mullanpur on May 30, will feature MI against the team that finishes fourth between RCB and GT. With RCB at 17 points and GT at 18, RCB can still clinch a spot in Qualifier 1 if they defeat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their upcoming match in Lucknow. DeshGujarat