Evacuate now! IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal rushes onto field during PBKS vs DC match in Dharamsala

Amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal directed spectators to evacuate the Dharamsala stadium, leading to the abandonment of the Punjab Kings versus Delhi Capitals match. A floodlight failure halted the game after 10.1 overs, despite a dominant 122-run opening partnership by Punjab. Players and staff will now travel to Delhi via a special train from Pathankot. A video now viral on social media captures Arun Dhumal walking onto the field and urging the crowd to exit the stadium immediately.
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Image credit: BCCI/IPL
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was seen signalling to spectators to evacuate the stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, as the India-Pakistan tensions escalated and forced the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals to be abandoned. In the wake of the mid-game cancellation, players and support staff from both sides will now be transported to Delhi via a special train from Pathankot, approximately 85 km away.The match had started after a one-hour delay but was halted abruptly after just 10.1 overs due to a floodlight failure, with only one floodlight tower functioning at the venue.Following a prolonged wait and failed attempts to resolve the issue, officials decided to call off the game. Spectators and officials were promptly evacuated from the ground.
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A video now viral on social media captures Arun Dhumal walking onto the field and urging the crowd to exit the stadium immediately.
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Before the interruption, Punjab Kings had made a dominant start. After electing to bat first, openers Prabhsimran Singh (50* off 28) and Priyansh Arya (70 off 34) put together a blistering 122-run partnership. Arya began aggressively, hitting back-to-back boundaries off Mitchell Starc in the opening over. Prabhsimran soon joined the onslaught, smashing Starc for three fours before Arya took on Dushmantha Chameera with a four and two sixes.
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Arya soon reached his fifty off just 25 balls, and PBKS crossed the 100-run mark in just 8.5 overs. He continued his assault, launching Kuldeep Yadav for back-to-back sixes. Prabhsimran followed suit, hitting a boundary and bringing up his fourth consecutive half-century.The opening stand was finally broken when Arya miscued a shot off T. Natarajan and was caught at short third-man. However, before the next delivery could be bowled, players were taken off the field due to the lighting issue. With no resolution in sight, the game was eventually abandoned.
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