The IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on Thursday got canceled halfway through because of air raid alerts in nearby cities like Jammu and Pathankot. This situation raised concerns about the tournament’s future due to the ongoing military issues between India and Pakistan.
The Punjab team was doing well, scoring 122 for 1 in just over 10 overs when the power went out. Initially, everyone thought it was just a floodlight issue. The game had already started late because of rain, and then the stadium went dark. For safety reasons, the teams and fans were evacuated from the ground. The stadium, which can hold around 23,000 people, was about 80% full at that time.
According to a source from the HPCA, there was no chaos, and both fans and players were moved out calmly. At the time, Prabhsimran Singh was at 50 runs off 28 balls, and his partner Priyansh Arya had scored 70 off 34 before he got out just before everything stopped due to the lights going out.
With this match canceled, it’s uncertain if the league will continue, and there are reports of a BCCI meeting taking place to address security worries from the foreign players involved. This comes on the heels of missile strikes that India carried out on terror sites in Pakistan following a recent attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. On Thursday, several districts, including Pathankot and Amritsar, experienced blackouts amid air raid alerts and loud explosion-like noises in Jammu.
[07:25, 09/05/2025] +91 81152 23927: BCCI to arrange a special train in Dharamshala for evacuation of players.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organized a special Vande Bharat train to get the Delhi Capitals (DC), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and the broadcast crew from Dharamshala to Delhi. They made this call due to the recent issues in the area and the chaos that followed the last-minute cancellation of the IPL 2025 game between the two teams. According to a BCCI source, about 300 people, including players, support staff, and broadcasters, will take the fast train to ensure they get back safely and smoothly.
This news comes after the disappointing incident on Thursday night at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, where the much-anticipated match was canceled be…