The 2025 IPL will be remembered for many great moments. But the tournament was suddenly stopped because of the tension between India and Pakistan. During a Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala, the match was stopped mid way because of safety concerns.
On a cricket podcast, Matthew Hayden spoke about a scary moment from the 2025 IPL. He talked about how the commentators were feeling when everything was happening.
Hayden Remembers IPL Chaos during India-Pakistan Tension
The 2025 IPL season was stopped mid season because of the rising tensions between India and Pakistan and it felt like war. A match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was stopped in the 11th over in Dharamsala.
Though the tournament has faced issues before, like at the beginning and during COVID, this was the scariest. Speaking on the All Over Bar The Cricket Podcast, Matthew Hayden remembered the frightening moment.
I flew from Mumbai to Delhi because there was no direct flight to Dharamsala. It’s a nice ground. When I landed in Delhi, the airport was closed. Pakistan was entering India again and there were rumors of drones and missiles. It was weird. I took a car to Dharamsala via Chandigarh. It took 12 hours. When we reached there, we were told the match would go on, he said.
The reason for the sudden stop was not a technical issue but a security measure to protect the stadium from a possible drone attack. On the podcast, Matthew Hayden said the commentators were told beforehand that the match would be stopped.
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About 30 minutes before we were about to go on air, security told us if the lights went out, the stadium was at risk. We had to evacuate, he said.
I was on air and the first light tower went out. I told the fans it had gone out. The second light went out soon after. Then security came in. I dropped my microphone and we were rushed out of the stadium, he added.
After the match was stopped, the tournament was stopped for over a week and came back with a new schedule. This was a stressful and scary moment and now a part of IPL history.
