Evacuation without panic: How fans exited Dharamsala stadium after IPL match called off

India Today

08-05-2025

The security officials did a remarkable job ensuring there was no panic during the evacuation process after the IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was called off on Thursday, 8 May, following attacks by Pakistan in various parts of India.A fan, speaking to IndiaToday.in, gave a detailed account of the incidents that transpired after the floodlights started to go out at the ground. The fan, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the north-east floodlight was the first to shut down just as PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer was making his way onto the field, causing the initial delay.advertisement10.1 overs were bowled after Punjab won the toss and opted to bat. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh stitched a 122-run stand for the first wicket when the first floodlight went off. The broadcasters cut to the commentary box without revealing details of why the match was halted. The official note from the IPL organisers, at the time, remained floodlight failure.
"The northeast floodlight went off just as Shreyas Iyer came in and there was a delay in the game. Then the eastern floodlight went off. Once the second floodlight went off, the players were leaving the field. Immediately, the guards came up to us and told us to leave. They didn't tell us that the match was cancelled, they told us to leave," said the fan.
There was no panic amongst the crowd as they made their way out of the stadium (Courtesy: PTI)
advertisementThe fan said the evacuation process was very smooth and that there was no real panic among the spectators."We exited the stadium. There was proper lighting around the stadium. The evacuation was very smooth, there was no real panic. There were a lot of 'Bharat Mata ki jai', 'Pakistan Murdabad chants'. We were eventually ushered out. The people with me were in different stands and I waited for them to meet up as they had to go to McLeodganj.""I headed off for my stay. I got back in. After when I ventured out, around 10:30 pm, all the stalls were shut down. I saw armed troops on the streets," said the fan.'VERY SMART FROM SECURITY OFFICIALS'The fan said that the evacuation process was handled smartly by security officials, as they made no announcements about the evacuation or any security concerns. The fan felt that if an announcement had been made citing a security threat, it could have sparked fears of a stampede."I think this was very, very smart. No announcements regarding the evacuation or security concerns were made. They turned off one floodlight first and then said floodlight failure, so please leave. So no one panicked and everyone left in a very orderly manner. Had they announced it was a security concern, there would have been a fear of a stampede," said the fan.advertisement"By the time we got to the place where the ticket checks were made, they had flattened all those barricades which opened up the ground for people to walk out. They had cops with megaphones asking people to not panic. Very neat stuff."IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was also seen helping with the evacuation process on Thursday.BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, speaking to India Today, said players and officials' safety is paramount, and a call will be taken on carrying on with the IPL 2025 season based on directives from the government.The players from PBKS and DC, along with support staff of both teams and officials, will be travelling from Dharamshala to Delhi on a special train arranged by the BCCI.Tensions with Pakistan escalated on Thursday as strikes were launched towards to the Jammu airstrip from Pakistan, with eight missiles and three drones intercepted by India's S-400 defence systems. The development came a day after India carried out Operation Sindoor strikes on Pakistani terror hideouts, which according to sources, led to 100 terrorists being killed.Tune InMust Watch
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