Dharamshala: In view of the significant escalation by Pakistan, the IPL match at Dharamshala was called off midway on Thursday evening.
Home team Punjab Kings had raced to 122/1 in 10.1 overs against Delhi Capitals when one of the floodlight towers went off. Two others followed, and the ground was plunged into semi-darkness a little later.
As the umpires and players retreated to the dressing room, the local organisers focused on the large crowd. Thousands of fans, who had come to see Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings continue their good form, were evacuated from the stadium.
Organisers decided to call off the match as Pakistan launched drone attacks and resorted to shelling in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab.
The other match in Dharamshala, between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, scheduled on May 10, has been shifted to another venue.
It was a surprise to many as to why Thursday’s match was allowed to go ahead in the first place, despite 18 airports in northern and western India being shut down a day earlier following India’s Operation Sindoor.
With 10 teams and around 200 players — including more than 70 from overseas — being involved in IPL 2025, the question of security is bound to come up.
There are matches to be played in Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad — all within or close to striking range of Pakistan. Of the total 78 matches, the 58th game was being played this evening. At least a dozen group league fixtures, followed by four playoff games, remain to be played.
The organisers, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), may have to take a call on whether to continue with the tournament.
