Our Bureau
New Delhi
With the tensions boiling over between the two neighbouring countries India and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided that they will be suspending the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The decision could have been predicted after what happened in last night’s fixture between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals.
The PBKS and DC match in Dharamshala on 8th May was stopped midway after Pakistan fired eight missiles directed at Satwari, Samba, RS Pura and Arnia all of which were intercepted and blocked by the Indian air defence units. The attack posed a great threat to the safety of players and the spectators who had come to see the match. The players were evacuated from the stadium along with the fans and the match was called off.
It was stated that many overseas players from different franchises were in a state of panic after the escalating cross-border tensions. Reports also said that the management of Royal Challengers Bengaluru had requested to move back to their camps in Bangalore from Lucknow where they were supposed to face the Lucknow Super Giants.
BCCI’s Vice President, Rajeev Shukla addressed the media after the PBKS and DC matchup was called off and confirmed that player safety is their first priority amidst these tough times. He said, “We’re organising a train to bring everyone back safely. The match has been called off, and the stadium evacuated. We will decide on the tournament’s future based on tomorrow’s situation, but player safety is our top priority.”
Earlier it was reported that Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings fixture was shifted from Dharamshala to Ahmedabad due to travel concerns. The airports of Chandigarh and Dharamshala were shut down making it difficult for the team to travel to the venue. The same concerns were there for DC and PBKS as well because there were no firm travel plans for both teams after the match.
Although none of the venues of the IPL were harmed or were under threat during the attack, the tournament had the writing on the wall because of the security concerns as well as the sentiments of the country in these tough times.
