This Saturday, just hours before the IPL 2025 opening in Kolkata, the Apex Council of the Indian Cricket Board will assemble. Topics on the agenda include the organization of domestic cricket, the locations for the Women’s World Cup, and the Health Ministry’s most recent order limiting alcohol and tobacco advertising.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opening game between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru is just hours away from the Saturday, March 22, meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Apex Council in Kolkata. The Health Ministry’s recommendations on preventing alcohol and tobacco product ads during cricket matches would be among the main topics of discussion. According to several news sources, the BCCI Apex Council would discuss sponsorships from cryptocurrency and tobacco companies. Notably, earlier in March, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare wrote to Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the Indian Premier League. The letter asked the organizers to prohibit “all forms of tobacco/alcohol advertising, including surrogate advertisements, within the stadium premises where the games and related IPL events are held, as well as during telecast sessions on national television.”
Additionally, the Health Ministry recommended that athletic associations nationwide discourage athletes from directly or indirectly advocating or promoting alcohol or tobacco-related items.
