Former Australia batter Matthew Hayden has opened up about his experience during the mid-way suspension of the IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC), which was halted due to the war-like tensions between India and Pakistan in Dharamsala. Hayden, who was one of the commentators for that game, recently shared the entire incident while speaking on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, the escalating conflict between the two nations forced the IPL to be suspended for a week. The tournament later resumed and concluded with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) claiming their maiden IPL title.
Hayden started by describing his long and difficult journey to Punjab, revealing that he had to travel via Delhi to reach the venue.
“I’d flown from Mumbai overnight to Delhi because there wasn’t a connecting flight with Punjab’s home ground (for that game) Dharamsala. Magnificent ground. But by the time I landed in Delhi, there was no airport open,” said Hayden.
After landing in Chandigarh, Hayden had to travel for 12 hours by car to reach Dharamsala amid the growing tension between India and Pakistan. He described how drones were patrolling the skies to navigate potential airstrikes and ensure public safety.
“It was at the time that coincided with the incursion of Pakistan back into India and we were talking drones navigating across the skies, taking out ground to air missiles and it was just eerie. We had to take a car via Chandigarh up to Dharamsala. That’s a 11 and a half, 12 hour drive. By the time we reached the venue we were told the game was about to proceed,” he added.
The former Aussie opener also shared that the officials had warned the broadcast team about possible security threats masked as technical issues with the lighting. He explained how the commentators were briefed in advance in case an emergency evacuation was needed.
“But half an hour before we went on air we were given a security message that if the light towers were to to go out, it’s not a technical issue. It’s actually a sign that the venue has been compromised and there will be an emergency evacuation response and we will proceed,” he mentioned.
Hayden then recalled how the incident unfolded live during the broadcast, and how the entire team was quickly evacuated from the stadium.
“I was mid-sentence with my usual garbage on air and the first light tower goes out so I’ve let the spectators and fans know that it has gone out. Then the second goes almost immediately. Next minute security came in like a blanket. Dropped my mic literally mid-sentence and we were ushered out of the ground,” he concluded.
For more exciting articles, follow RevSportz.