It was during the first strategic timeout when IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal realised that the clash between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala could not have continued. The air raid sirens had gone off in two neighbouring cities, one of them less than 100km away, and 25,000 people were in the stands unaware of the security concerns.
On one of his “most challenging days” as a cricket administrator, Dhumal had to oversee the orderly evacuation of these 25,000 people and ensure that the players were not affected by the change of circumstances.
Floodlights were dimmed and eventually turned off and a blackout protocol came into operation after Pathankot (85km from Dharamsala) and Jammu (a little over 197km away) came under a drone attack from Pakistan.
Announcements were duly made to inform the sizeable crowd of floodlights being switched off. It was blamed on a technical snag at first, a ploy to ensure that the assembled fans did not panic.
“…when the announcement was made on the public address system about floodlights going off, people didn’t want to leave,” Dhumal recalled in an interview to PTI.
“We had to ensure that the evacuation of spectators happened without pressing the panic button. We couldn’t have allowed a stampede,” he added.
The available evidence suggests that Dhumal, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association officials and the local police pulled off the task with elan as people dispersed in less than half an hour’s time.
“…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,” Dhumal, who hails from the state, said.
VIDEO | On suspension of IPL match, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal says, "This is a considered decision by the BCCI given the situation prevailing, and it was taken keeping the interest of everybody in mind so we have discussed with all the franchise owners, broadcasters and all the… pic.twitter.com/td5lzRxsgl
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2025
He was seen requesting people to leave the stadium, standing next to Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta in one of the galleries. Dharamsala is the second home base of the Punjab franchise.
The IPL was suspended for a week on Friday amid the mounting conflict between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
Was it the most challenging night of his tenure as IPL chairman? Not so really, said Dhumal.
“…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.
“Ensuring that everything happened smoothly in quickest possible time was a challenge. But we had an abiding crowd that also responded to our call,” Dhumal said sharing the credit with a very compliant gathering that followed instructions.
ALSO READ: IPL suspended indefinitely amid India-Pakistan conflict
The IPL Chairman then gave a peek into how the match’s suspension was coordinated by the IPL operations team under him and the local district administration within a 10-minute window.
“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,” Dhumal revealed.
“I had to also ensure that the crew and others working on the game also safely leave the stadium. It was my duty.”
The local police did its bit to eliminate panic by removing barricades outside the ground which made the evacuation swift and smooth.
Dhumal is relieved that both Punjab and Delhi teams have safely reached the national capital after a time-consuming journey that involved criss-crossing Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar.
“Yes there are logistical issues. Not just players, so many people are involved in the smooth conduct of a match. So, we had to make travel arrangements and also ensure that there was foolproof security during movement from Dharamsala to Delhi.”
The teams were escorted by a Himachal Pradesh Police convoy from Dharamsala to Hoshirapur. From Hoshiarpur, Punjab Police took charge of their security, accompanying them to Jalandhar Railway Station from where they boarded the train to Delhi.
Asked about the chances of IPL’s remaining 16 games happening in September by scrapping the Asia Cup, Dhumal said that this is perhaps not the time to figure these options.
“Right now, like everyone else in the country, we stand in solidarity with our armed forces in the country. We will take a call on the remainder of the tournament at an appropriate time,” he said.
