IPL 2025: Special train to flee Capitals, Kings’ players from Dharamsala

DHARAMSALA: A special train has been arranged to take the players and support staff of Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals from here to Delhi due to escalating tensions between Pakistan and India, Indian media reported on Thursday.

According to a report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has arranged a special train, named Vande Bharat Express, which will take the players and support staff on priority to Delhi.

Notably, the nearest railway station from the venue is Una, and the two groups of players and support staff are likely to board the train from there and head to Delhi.

The development came after the abrupt abandonment of the 58th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals due to the same reason.

The match was halted after 10.1 overs of Punjab Kings’ innings as three of the four floodlight towers of the venue malfunctioned after Thangarasu Natarajan dismissed Priyansh Arya.

“The Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals match (Match#58) in Tata IPL was forced to be abandoned due to a significant technical failure at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala,” the BCCI stated.

“Due to a power outage in the area, one of the light towers at the HPCA stadium malfunctioned. BCCI regrets the inconvenience caused to the in-stadium attendees,” the statement added.

Although the BCCI, in its statement, cited technical failure as the reason behind the abrupt end of the fixture, several Indian media outlets reported that the decision was taken as a safety measure in light of the escalating tensions in the region.

According to an Indian cricket news website, spectators, fans, journalists, commentators and support staff have all been instructed to evacuate the venue.

The report further suggested that the reason behind the floodlights going off was not a technical issue but instead due to a reported blackout being announced by the local government.