As panic grips Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could well be left with no option but to halt the ongoing edition of the tournament. The
match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala was halted midway today (May 8) due to the rising tension between India and Pakistan, and, at the time of writing, both teams were safely in the team hotel.
The
entire contingent in Dharamsala will be leaving via a special train tomorrow (Friday, May 9) and the Indian cricket board is right now in a huddle to decide the future course of action. An
emergent meeting of the IPL Governing Council is underway at the moment. None of the existing IPL venues have been under any kind of threat as of now. However, the BCCI may have to keep the larger sentiment of the nation in mind and halting the tournament, even if temporarily.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!It is further understood that overseas players of most franchises are in a state of panic and they would need some serious assurances from the BCCI and the Indian government to stay back in the country for the tournament. As of now, there is no clarity over the game in Lucknow tomorrow (between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru).
The Indian cricket board will proceed further based on the directive they get from the Indian government, and all teams will act as per the guidelines they receive. The Gujarat Titans have already reached Delhi for their game against DC on May 11, and Mumbai Indians will be landing in Ahmedabad tonight for their
rescheduled fixture in the afternoon of the same day.
The players of both DC and PBKS have been uneasy ever since the cross-border tensions escalated this week as they reached Dharamsala before the closure of airports was announced. At this moment, arrangements are being put in place to ensure all players, support staff and members of the broadcast crew are evacuated safely from Dharamsala.