IPL 2025 will ban alcohol and tobacco advertising, Health Ministry wrote a letter to IPL Chairman

IPL 2025 is starting on March 22 with the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Even before the start of the competition, the Union Health Ministry has written an important letter to the IPL Chairman asking to ban all types of tobacco and alcohol promotion, including surrogate advertising.

In a letter written to IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal by Director General of Health Services Atul Goyal, it has been said that cricketers are role models for the youth of India. They should not be associated with any kind of tobacco or alcohol advertising directly or indirectly.

The Director General of Health Services expressed the view that IPL should implement the rules banning surrogate ads for any sort of tobacco-alcohol products. The ads should be excluded from the stadium as well as during telecasts. Tobacco or alcoholic products should be retailed in no affiliated events or sporting complexes during IPL 2025. Players or commentators should be discouraged who endorsing alcoholic or tobacco products in any direct or indirect sense.

In the context of deaths due to tobacco and alcohol globally, the Health Ministry said cricket players are the role models for the young generation to encourage a healthy, physically fit life. IPL is the biggest sporting platform in the country, which should have a social as well as moral responsibility in advocating for the cause of public health and the government's efforts towards it.

The opening ceremony of IPL 2025 will be held in Kolkata and the final will also be played in the capital of West Bengal. Rishabh Pant was the most expensive player at the IPL 2025 auction as Lucknow Super Giants bought him for Rs 27 crore from his base price of Rs 2 crore, while Shreyas Iyer was signed by Punjab Kings for Rs 26.75 crore.