Alyssa Healy, wife of Mitchell Starc, who was watching from the stands alongside other family members of Delhi Capitals players, recounted the dramatic events that unfolded in Dharamsala.
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Alyssa Healy Recalls the Night IPL Match Was Abandoned Due to Security Concerns
Australia Women’s cricket team captain Alyssa Healy, wife of Mitchell Starc, shared her account of the fateful night of May 8 in Dharamsala, when the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was called off mid-game. Initially, the BCCI cited a technical failure of floodlights at the HPCA stadium as the official reason for the disruption. However, it was later revealed that the real cause was the activation of air sirens in nearby areas due to heightened India-Pakistan border tensions. This marked the first instance of an IPL match being abandoned for security reasons.
The game was in the 11th over with PBKS at 122 for 1 when the light towers began to malfunction. As the lights went off one by one, players were ordered off the field, and the spectators were directed to evacuate the stadium peacefully by IPL chairman Arun Dhumal. A blackout was imposed across Dharamsala.
Healy, who was watching the match from the stands along with family members of the Delhi Capitals players, described the surreal scene. “All of a sudden, a couple of the light towers went out. We were just sitting there when the guy who handles our group came up and his face was white,” Healy recalled in an interview on The Willow Talk Podcast. The uncertainty and sudden evacuation left a lasting impression on her and the other spectators.
‘We were shuffled into a room, then crammed into vans. Du Plessis didn’t even have shoes on’
Alyssa Healy, wicketkeeper-batter for Australia, shared a vivid account of the panic and confusion that unfolded when the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was abruptly canceled on May 8. Upon reaching the dressing rooms, Healy found DC’s Faf du Plessis without his shoes. When she asked her husband, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, about the situation, he informed her of drone sightings and air-raid warnings nearby.
“He was like, ‘we need to go right now,’” Healy recalled. Soon after, a staff member came into the room, visibly shaken, and urgently grabbed one of the children, saying, “We need to leave right now.” Healy and the others were left bewildered, not knowing what was happening. “We weren’t told anything. We had no idea,” she said.
As the situation escalated, the group was shuffled into a holding room, where the players were also gathered. Healy noticed that Faf du Plessis was still without shoes, as everyone waited in a stressed silence. Starc explained that a nearby town, 60 kilometers away, had been struck by missiles, leading to a complete blackout in the area. The lights at the Dharamsala stadium had gone out because the venue had become a beacon, drawing attention.
“We were all just waiting there, looking stressed,” Healy continued, “then suddenly we’re crammed into vans and off we go back to the hotel. There was madness.” The night ended in chaos, with uncertainty hanging over everyone involved.
Alyssa Healy, wife of Mitchell Starc, opens up on a terrifying experience in Dharamshala 😳 pic.twitter.com/hEPKnApzaM
— Usman (@jamilmusman_) May 13, 2025
Alyssa Healy shared a gripping account of the tense moments she, her husband Mitchell Starc, and others faced when the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was canceled due to security threats. Healy described how, during their evacuation, they unknowingly drove close to the Pakistan border. “We ended up going southwest towards the border, which was a little bit terrifying,” she said. She and Starc, having played Call of Duty, noticed surface-to-air missile sites along the way. “We saw a few of them on the way through in some small towns,” Healy recalled.
The anxiety heightened when fireworks were set off unexpectedly in a village. “Some peanut down in the village decides it’s a great idea to set off some fireworks in the middle of the day,” Healy said, describing how the group froze in fear as they saw the fireworks. “I hope it was a wedding and I hope they have a beautiful marriage, but that was just not good timing.” Despite the fear, Healy believed they were safe, as they weren’t directly in the firing line.
The players, their families, support staff, and broadcasters were evacuated from Dharamsala and transported to Jalandhar via a convoy under tight security. From Jalandhar, they boarded a special ‘Vande Bharat Express’ to New Delhi.
The IPL was suspended for a week, and the BCCI announced the resumption of the tournament on May 12, with the revised schedule now beginning on May 17 and the final set for June 3.
