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Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 was dramatically interrupted when the match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala was abandoned midway, not due to cricketing reasons, but because of a sudden security threat. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially cited a power outage, the real story unfolded as a tense and frightening episode for players, families, and fans. Among those caught in the chaos was Australia women’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy, who was present to support her husband, DC pacer Mitchell Starc. Healy’s vivid recollections have shed light on the confusion, fear, and surreal scenes that gripped Dharamsala that night.
Alyssa Healy recalls horrifying PBKS vs DC match scenes
The match had barely crossed the 10-over mark when a couple of the stadium’s floodlights suddenly went dark, plunging the HPCA Stadium and its thousands of spectators into uncertainty. Initially, the official word was a technical failure, but whispers of something far more serious quickly spread among those present.
Healy described the moment on The Willow Talk podcast: “All of a sudden a couple of the light towers went out and we were just sitting there up the top waiting… the next minute the guy who wrangles the group of us came up and his face was white. He was like, ‘We need to go right now’”.
The urgency escalated as support staff began ushering families and players out of their seats. Healy recalled being herded into a makeshift holding room alongside other cricketers and their families, all visibly shaken.
“We weren’t told anything. We had no idea. Next minute we are being shuffled into this room which was like a holding pen. All the boys were in there. Faf du Plessis didn’t even have shoes on. We were all just waiting there, looking stressed,” she added.
The blackout, it turned out, was a deliberate security measure-Dharamsala’s proximity to the border had made it a potential target, and a nearby town had reportedly been struck by missiles, prompting immediate evacuation protocols.
Healy shares her perspective on the evacuation ordeal
With air raid sirens and military movement in the background, the evacuation took on the urgency of a warzone. Healy described being “crammed into vans” and rushed back to the team hotel in total darkness, the atmosphere thick with anxiety and confusion. Airports in the region had already been shut, so the next day, the entire contingent-players, families, and staff-endured a long overnight bus ride followed by a train journey to Delhi, all under heavy security.
Healy’s account of the journey was chilling, she concluded, “We ended up going southwest towards the (Pakistan) border, which was a little bit terrifying. Mitch and I have played too much Call of Duty and we’re noticing all surface-to-missile sites that were just sitting there ready to go. They’re radar-operated systems that shoot missiles at aircraft. We saw a few of them on the way through in some small towns”.
Even a stray firework in a village along the way sent nerves jangling, underscoring the psychological toll of the ordeal. The IPL was suspended for a week as the region awaited a ceasefire, and only after careful security reassessments, the new schedule of the cash rich league has been announced.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
