Indian Premier League’s chairperson Arun Dhumal said that two upcoming games scheduled to be played in Dharamshala will go ahead, with the board trying to look for alternate arrangements to ensure the teams reach the venue to play as per the original plan.
After the Indian armed forces said they struck nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor, commercial flight operations at various Indian airports have been suspended, and the airport in Dharamshala is one of those. Punjab Kings, who are playing their last set of home matches in Dharamshala, will face Delhi Capitals on Thursday, while Mumbai Indians are also scheduled to reach the valley on Thursday morning.
“Match is very much on, as per the plan. As far as the Punjab vs Mumbai Indians game (on May 11) is concerned, it is still far away. I think we have 3-4 days time and since it’s a dynamic situation as of now, everything is on, but in case there is an advisory directed from the government, going forward, accordingly, we will take a call,” Dhumal told The Indian Express.
Mumbai Indians were scheduled to fly to Chandigarh on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday, they were supposed to fly to Dharamshala. However, the current situation has led to the Mumbai Indians cancelling their plan. The franchise is now waiting for the BCCI to inform them about the further course of action.
“Logistical issues are there,” Dhumal said. “But we are seeing if alternate arrangements can be made for MI to get in here because the same would be for Delhi, as they too need to go back for the next game at home. As of now, since there is no advisory from the government, everything is as per the plan.”
After the events on Wednesday early morning, commercial flight operations at various Indian airports, particularly those close to the India-Pakistan border or housed at key Indian Air Force bases, have been suspended due to airport closures and airspace restrictions because of the developing security situation.
The affected airports include Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Gwalior, Rajkot, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Dharamshala, Bathinda, Shimla, Hindon, Kishangarh, and Kandla. A majority of these airports are located at defence airfields, with some seeing only a handful of commercial flights a day.
“Due to government notification on airspace restrictions, over 165 IndiGo flights from multiple airports (Amritsar, Bikaner, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Gwalior, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Leh, Rajkot, and Srinagar) are cancelled until 0529 hrs. IST of 10 May, 2025. Customers are encouraged to check their flight status on our website or mobile app before heading to the airport,” IndiGo had said in a statement.
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