The IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings to be held on Sunday in Dharamshala is set to be shifted to Mumbai after travel plans of the teams were thrown haywire following the temporary closure of the hill town’s airport. Dharamsala’s airport has been closed for operations indefinitely as a precautionary measure after India’s missile strikes on Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. “There is high possibility that the match will be shifted to Mumbai in case the airport remains shut,” a BCCI source told PTI.
Dharamsala is due to host the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals clash on Thursday and that game will go ahead as scheduled given that both teams have touched base.
“We have not got any written intimation from either the BCCI, or the central and state governments about cancellation of tomorrow’s match. Unless there is any official instruction, we are going ahead with the schedule,” a Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association source told PTI.
The picturesque city is the second home base of Punjab Kings.
“We have not been told about the venue change yet. We are waiting to hear from the BCCI,” a Punjab Kings official said.
Delhi has very little time to figure out its logistics as the players have to be back in the national capital for their next game, against Gujarat Titans, which is also on Sunday. They could head back by road after the match.
“Everything is fluid at the moment. Discussions are on with franchises and they are also internally discussing about what are the options of travelling from Dharamsala to Delhi in case the airport remains shut,” a BCCI source told PTI.
“One option (for Delhi Capitals) remains bus journey but then it is not just about teams but also the broadcast crew and equipment. It’s an evolving situation,” he added.
India carried out precision strikes on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were murdered.
At least 18 airports in the northern and western parts of the country have been temporarily shut owing to the military escalation. These include Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Pathankot, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Shimla, Dharamshala and Jamnagar.
Chandigarh, which is the nearest alternate airport for Dharamsala, is among those shut down for operations right now.
At the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s clash, Punjab Kings spin bowling coach Sunil Joshi said, “We are following BCCI’s protocols. And whatever the BCCI recommends to us, the team management will act upon it.” Delhi Capitals coach Hemang Badani said his team will adapt to the challenge.
“As cricketers and as people part of cricket environment, we’re used to challenges, we’re used to navigating and adapting as we go by.
“We have utmost faith in the BCCI and the IPL governing council to guide us through and give us the right directives. And as a side, we just adapt and move on,” he said.
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