Narendra Modi Stadium bomb threat declared hoax; India & Australia U19 squads safe

The Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad received a bomb threat midway through the Under-19 second red-ball game between India and Australia. The stadium authorities received the threat via email at 11 AM IST, when the two teams were in action, before the match concluded at around 11:15 AM IST.

According to several reports, a Cyber Cell team immediately arrived at the venue to investigate the matter. All squad players, however, were not initially informed about the development, but the two teams later left the stadium at around 1 PM IST following necessary security protocols. The local police later confirmed that the email was a hoax.

GCA Informs Police of Bomb Threat

The secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), Anil Patel, admitted to informing police at the drop of a hat upon receiving the bomb threat.

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“We informed the local police as soon as we received the email. This has happened a couple of times earlier as well, including during the World Cup 2023 and IPL,” Patel said, as quoted by Sportstar.

Diljit Dosanjh Concert Mentioned in Threats

The emails also mentioned Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh, warning people against attending the singer’s concert scheduled for November 21 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. There were pro-Khalistan messages in the emails, along with reference to Diljit’s November 1 performance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The stadium authorities deployed security personnel and bomb detection teams at the educational institutions that also received bomb threats.

The security arrived shortly after India U-19 completed a comprehensive 10-wicket win against Australia in the second Youth Test. Debutant Tanmay Baloda led India with a stunning bowling performance, picking up 14 wickets across two innings.

No security emergency was required following the bomb threats, with both sets of players leaving the venue safely, in accordance with the necessary protocols.