The Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Dharamsala Stadium in Himachal Pradesh was abandoned due to security concerns.
Air raid warnings were issued in nearby areas, leading to a power outage in the hill town as Pakistan launched a barrage of drones and missiles at several Indian border cities.
Visuals from news agencies showed Indian air defence systems intercepting these aerial projectiles.
At the time of the interruption, Punjab Kings had reached 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs, initially believed to be due to a floodlight failure.
However, it was later confirmed that both players and spectators were evacuated from the stadium as a precautionary measure.
Prabhsimran Singh remained unbeaten on 50 from 28 deliveries, while his opening partner Priyansh Arya had earlier scored a quick 70 off 34 balls before being dismissed by pacer T Natarajan.
Notably, there has been a blackout in Jammu, which is at a distance of around 200 km from Dharamsala, after Pakistani missiles were intercepted in the region.
“Yes, the match has been called off as a precautionary step, because there are some incidents which happened in Jammu, I believe. That's what we got to know, so we thought it’s wise to call off the game,” IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal told IANS from Dharamshala.
Visuals shared by ANI show people chant 'Pakistan murdabad' slogans in Dharamshala.
"Military Stations of Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur in proximity to the International Boundary, in Jammu & Kashmir targeted by Pakistan using missiles and drones. No losses. Threat neutralised by Indian Armed Forces as per SoP with kinetic & non-kinetic means," Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff tweeted.
Pakistan launched a barrage of missile strike targeting several locations across the Jammu and Kashmir and other states near LOC on Thursday. Border districts such as Samba and Poonch are experiencing blackouts, and residents reported hearing loud blasts followed by air raid sirens around 9 PM. The atmosphere remains tense amid fears of further escalation, with mobile networks also reportedly down.
Earlier in the week, Indian armed forces had carried out a retaliatory missile operation, hitting nine terror-related targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
