IPL 2025 has been suspended for a week amid India vs Pakistan tension. And, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal recalled the evacuation process at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala following the match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) was called off in between due to security concerns. However, the decision was taken after 10.1 overs in Punjab’s innings as well.
Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh got PBKS off to a flying start with a 122-run opening partnership as well. However, soon after Priyansh got out, one of the floodlights at the venue went off. Eventually, more floodlights went off as the crowd started evacuating the stadium as well. The match was stopped after Pakistan attempted drone attacks near Chandigarh. And, Dhumal said that his responsibility was to make sure the crowd exited the venue safely as well.
“…when the announcement was made on the public address system about floodlights going off, people didn’t want to leave. We had to ensure that the evacuation of spectators happened without pressing the panic button. We couldn’t have allowed a stampede,” Dhumal told PTI in an interview. “…you need to understand that the match was very exciting in the manner Punjab was batting…The entire operation wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the local police and district administration. They did a splendid job.”
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Arun Dhumal also recalled the 2021 IPL season, which was stopped in between and later relocated from India to the UAE due to the Covid-19 pandemic as well. However, he added that the recent incident was different, as it involved the challenge of stopping a live match due to security concerns as well.
“…we had big challenge during COVID-19 when tournament was stopped midway. But yesterday’s challenge was different as we had to stop a live game due to security protocol,” Dhumal said. “Ensuring that everything happened smoothly in the quickest possible time was a challenge. But we had an abiding crowd that also responded to our call.”
“It was during the first strategic timeout that I was intimated about the blackout protocol. We had little time but I quickly informed the top officials of both DC and Punjab management that lights will go off in some time and how we are planning to do it. I spoke to them and told them to ensure that players don’t get scared or panicky. I had to also ensure that the crew and others working on the game also safely leave the stadium. It was my duty,” Arun Dhumal concluded.
