An Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala was abruptly suspended on May 8 due to a sudden escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan.
The blackout of stadium lights, triggered by a reported missile and drone strikes in nearby cities plunged the venue into chaos, leaving players, support staff, and families in a state of panic.
Australian cricketer Alyssa Healy, wife of Mitchell Starc, part of the contingent present at the stadium, shared a chilling account of the incident on The Willow Talk podcast.
Alyssa Healthy Describes "Surreal" Evacuation Experience in Dharamsala
Healy describes the initial moments of the incident, where the stadium lights unexpectedly failed.
"It was a surreal experience. All of a sudden a couple of the light towers went out and we were just sitting there up the top waiting… we’re a large group of family and extra support staff and the next minute the guy who wrangles the group of us and gets us on the bus came up and his face was white," Healy said as quoted on The Willow Talk podcast.
The evacuation began abruptly with staff members urgently instructing the group to leave. They were moved to a secure room.
"He was like, ‘we need to go right now’. Then (another) guy came out and his face was white and he grabbed one of the children and said, ‘we need to leave right now’. We were like, ‘what’s going on?’ 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 (Faf du Plessis) didn’t even have shoes on. We were all just waiting there looking stressed," she added.
Healy sought clarity from her husband, Starc, who told her about the missile attack. They were then transferred into vans.
"I said to Mitch, ‘what’s going on?’ He said the town 60km away had just been smacked by some of the missiles so there was a complete blackout in the area. That’s why the lights were off because the Dharamsala stadium was like a beacon at that point in time."
"All of a sudden we’re crammed into vans and off we go back to the hotel. There was madness," Healy shared.
During the journey to Delhi, the convoy took a route southwest, closer to the India-Pakistan border, which heightened the group’s anxiety. Healy and Starc noticed military installations along the way, adding to the panic.
"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 the (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."
The group was startled by fireworks in a nearby village, which they initially mistook for something more sinister, given the tense atmosphere.
"Some peanut down in the village decides it’s a great idea to set off some fireworks in the middle of the day. I think everyone at lunch (froze), turned around and was like, ‘oh my God!’ And then I could pinpoint, I could see the fireworks going up. I hope it was a wedding and I hope they have a beautiful marriage but that was just not good timing. There was anxiety and terrified at the same time, but I still feel like we would have been OK. We weren’t right in the firing line," Healy concluded.
Mitchell Starc & Few Other Overseas Players Unlikely to Return to India for IPL 2025 Phase 2
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the IPL will resume on May 17 at six venues. 17 matches, including four playoff games, are yet to played.
The BCCI is working with franchises to address player availability and ensure the season continues smoothly, but the absence of key players could impact team compositions.
Also read: RCB in Crisis: Rajat Patidar’s Injury Threatens His IPL 2025 Exit - Reports
