IPL Match Suspended: Players Travel To Delhi By Vande Bharat Train

Travel Arranged and Match Delayed

After the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was delayed in Dharamsala on Thursday, players and officials traveled to Delhi on Friday in a special Vande Bharat train.

Due to security tensions between India and Pakistan, several airports, including Dharamsala, were closed down. As flights were impossible, the officials reserved a train for both teams.

Security Measures Taken

As soon as the match was canceled, the players were taken by police to their hotels under tight security. Due to fear of congregating people, they shunned large buses.

Instead, around 50 vehicles carried the players in batches to the railway station. Some police vehicles also provided security along the way, the Kangra District SP confirmed. Players came from Jalandhar to Delhi.

Match Suspended for Safety, Not Technical Reasons

Initially, all thought the game was suspended due to a power failure in a floodlight. But officials subsequently confirmed the correct reason for such power outages in border states due to cross-border drone strikes by Pakistan into cities like Jammu.

The reason for the power failure in Dharamsala was also responsible for the floodlights going off. IPL authorities, after getting warning from the government, decided not to continue the match for security purposes.

But they did not make it public initially to prevent stampede or panic.

Evacuation of the Crowd Handled Well

Arun Dhumal, who was the IPL Chairman and was at the stadium at that time, helped the police to make the evacuation. Officials told viewers that the issue lay with the floodlights and they would not resume the match.

At first, the crowd was a little bit not confident but the stadium was evacuated without any incident. Dhumal expressed gratitude to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association and local police for assisting in evacuating 25,000 people within 30 minutes.

PSL Matches Deferred Due to Tensions

At the same time, in Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) postponed the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The move came amid escalating tensions with India.

Although the PCB announced plans to relocate the remaining games to the UAE, they subsequently suspended the tournament. The official reason was a Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif recommendation.

But according to UAE sources, the real reason may be that Emirates Cricket Board did not agree to stage the remaining games. The UAE is very closely associated with India's BCCI, and had already staged the T20 World Cup (2021) and a number of IPL matches.