Alyssa Healy Recalls Chaotic IPL Match Night Amid Air Raid Alarms

A Night of Chaos During IPL Match

Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women's cricket team, recently recounted a harrowing experience during an IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala, which was abruptly halted due to air raid sirens in nearby areas.

The game was interrupted when Punjab was comfortably positioned at 122 for 1 in just over 10 overs, with the initial explanation being a failure of the floodlights. Healy, who is married to Delhi Capitals and Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, was present in the stands with family members of other players.

Initially, Healy and her companions remained calm, believing it to be a minor issue, but the situation quickly escalated.

Healy shared her experience on the 'WillowTalk' podcast, stating, "A couple of the light towers went out, and we were just waiting. I heard a rumor a few seats down that we might need to evacuate the stadium because the lights had gone out."

As a large group of family and support staff, they were initially hesitant to leave, thinking it safer to stay put while others exited the stadium.

However, the urgency increased when a staff member approached them, visibly shaken, insisting they needed to leave immediately.

Things took a turn for the worse as they were moved into what Healy described as a 'holding pen,' where players from both teams were already gathered.

Healy recalled, "Then the next guy came out, his face was white, grabbed one of the children, and said, 'we need to leave right now.'"

The situation was so dire that she noted Faf du Plessis was present without his shoes, looking stressed alongside other players.

Healy asked her husband, Mitchell, what was happening, to which he replied that a nearby town had just been hit by missiles.

The blackout in the area explained the stadium's darkened lights, making it a conspicuous target.

The seriousness of the situation became clear as news broke that India had conducted missile strikes on terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, following a recent terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

On the day of the match, several districts, including Pathankot, Amritsar, and Chandigarh, experienced blackouts amid air raid alerts and reports of explosion-like sounds in Jammu.

Healy described the chaos as they were crammed into vans to return to their hotel, stating, "There was madness. We were sitting on the bus with some Punjab players. It was just about getting into a van and leaving as quickly as possible."

The teams eventually made their way back to Delhi via a lengthy road and train journey, passing through Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar.

Although the IPL was suspended for a week, it is scheduled to resume on May 17, with most foreign players expected to return to their teams.