IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was seen signalling to spectators to evacuate the stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, as the India-Pakistan tensions escalated and forced the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals to be abandoned. In the wake of the mid-game cancellation, players and support staff from both sides will now be transported to Delhi via a special train from Pathankot, approximately 85 km away.The match had started after a one-hour delay but was halted abruptly after just 10.1 overs due to a floodlight failure, with only one floodlight tower functioning at the venue.Following a prolonged wait and failed attempts to resolve the issue, officials decided to call off the game. Spectators and officials were promptly evacuated from the ground.A video now viral on social media captures Arun Dhumal walking onto the field and urging the crowd to exit the stadium immediately.
Before the interruption, Punjab Kings had made a dominant start. After electing to bat first, openers Prabhsimran Singh (50* off 28) and Priyansh Arya (70 off 34) put together a blistering 122-run partnership. Arya began aggressively, hitting back-to-back boundaries off Mitchell Starc in the opening over. Prabhsimran soon joined the onslaught, smashing Starc for three fours before Arya took on Dushmantha Chameera with a four and two sixes.Despite Axar Patel’s entry in the fifth over, Delhi Capitals couldn’t stem the flow of runs, with Punjab reaching 69/0 at the end of the powerplay.
Arya soon reached his fifty off just 25 balls, and PBKS crossed the 100-run mark in just 8.5 overs. He continued his assault, launching Kuldeep Yadav for back-to-back sixes. Prabhsimran followed suit, hitting a boundary and bringing up his fourth consecutive half-century.The opening stand was finally broken when Arya miscued a shot off T. Natarajan and was caught at short third-man. However, before the next delivery could be bowled, players were taken off the field due to the lighting issue. With no resolution in sight, the game was eventually abandoned.
