Cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan had forced a brief suspension of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). It all started during the match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings at Dharamshala, which got called off after 10.1 overs were bowled in the first inning.
Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australia women's team, and her husband Mitchell Starc, who played for the Capitals, have shared their stories in the months since. Now, former Australia batter Matthew Hayden has narrated how the commentators’ experience went.
“I’d flown from Mumbai overnight to Delhi because there wasn’t a connecting flight with Punjab’s home ground (for that game) Dharamshala. Magnificent ground. But by the time I landed in Delhi, there was no airport open,” said Hayden on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast. “It was at the time that coincided with the incursion of Pakistan back into India and we were talking drones navigating across the skies, taking out ground to air missiles and it was just eerie. We had to take a car via Chandigarh up to Dharamshala. That’s a 11 and a half, 12-hour drive. By the time we reached the venue we were told the game was about to proceed.”
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The stadium lights going out were the first indication that something strange was happening. At first, it appeared to be a technical problem on broadcast, but gradually the entire stadium went dark, and there were rumors that the venue was being evacuated because of the possibility of a drone strike. During that time, several large Indian cities had conducted blackout drills.
Before the game, the commentators were informed that the lights going out would not be a technical problem, according to Hayden. “But half an hour before we went on air we were given a security message that if the light towers were to go out, it’s not a technical issue. It’s actually a sign that the venue has been compromised and there will be an emergency evacuation response and we will proceed,” he said.
“I was mid-sentence with my usual garbage on air and the first light tower goes out so I’ve let the spectators and fans know that it has gone out. Then the second goes almost immediately. Next minute security came in like a blanket. Dropped my mic literally mid-sentence and we were ushered out of the ground,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
According to Hayden, the IPL has been a "great survivor" in light of the numerous events that the tournament has witnessed since its inception in 2008. “It’s been a great survivor and it’s lasted incredible events historically for India. It got moved in the second year to South Africa due to elections. We had Covid and it seemed to survive that we moved to Dubai over to the middle east,” he said.
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