IPL 2025 | 'We were crammed into vans': Starc's wife Healy recalls dreadful night the PBKS-DC match was abandoned
India News, Sports: On May 8, the organisers asked the stadium to be evacuated for security reasons soon after the fall of the first wicket when at least two floodlights were off
Australian cricketer Alyssa Healy, currently in India to support her husband Mitchell Starc during the IPL 2025 season, shared a chilling account of the chaos that unfolded in Dharamshala following a sudden power blackout during the IPL match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) on May 8, 2025.
What began as a thrilling cricket match quickly descended into confusion and panic, not just for the players on the field but also for their families and support staff watching from the stands.
Speaking candidly in an interview, Healy described the eerie moment when the lights at the HPCA Stadium went out unexpectedly, plunging the entire arena into darkness. “It was surreal. One moment we were enjoying the game, and the next, everything went black. There was no communication, no explanation – just darkness and uncertainty,” she recalled.
'It was very quite scary'
What followed was even more disturbing. Healy revealed that players’ families and non-playing members were hurriedly evacuated from the venue. “We were crammed into vans, quite literally shoved in without any clear idea of what was going on,” she recalled. “It was very disorganised, and frankly, quite scary. We didn’t know if it was a technical glitch or something more serious.”
“Starcy even said at one point, ‘I heard a town got smacked by a missile.’ It sounds outrageous, but in that moment of chaos and fear, anything seemed possible,” Healy recounted.
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The scene was further marked by confusion as several players, including Faf du Plessis, were seen scrambling to evacuate without having time to gather their belongings. “Faf didn’t even have shoes on. That’s how sudden everything was. No one knew what was happening or what we were being evacuated from,” Healy added.
But perhaps the most unnerving aspect of the ordeal, according to Healy, came in the aftermath – when they were informed that travel out of Dharamshala might need to be done by train, given logistical disruptions and the suspension of flights. “That was the scariest part of all,” she said. “The idea of traveling by train, especially given the current political tensions, just felt unsafe. It was the uncertainty that made it terrifying.”
“As players and families, we understand the risks of travel and competition. But in a tournament as big as the IPL, there must be clear protocols and assurances for everyone’s safety. No one should be left in the dark – literally or figuratively,” Healy concluded.
