The IPL match between the Mumbai Indians and the Kings of Punjab which will be held in Dharamshala on Sunday should be transferred to Mumbai after the team’s travel plans were thrown after the temporary closure of the city of Hill. Dharamsala airport has been closed for operations indefinitely as a precaution after the Indian missile strikes on Pakistan to dismantle terrorist infrastructure following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. “There is a strong possibility that the match will be moved to Mumbai in the event that the airport remains closed,” said a BCCI source in PTI.
Dharamsala should welcome the capital of the Punjab Kings VS Delhi capital on Thursday and this match will take place as planned since the two teams have affected the base.
“We had no written intimation of the BCCI, nor central governments and states on the cancellation of the match of tomorrow. Unless there is an official instruction, we are going ahead with the calendar,” the Himhal Pradesh calendar told PTI.
The picturesque city is the second attachment base of the kings of Punjab.
“We have not yet been informed of the change of location. We expect BCCI,” said a Kings in Punjab.
Delhi has very little time to understand his logistics because the players must be back in the national capital for their next match, against Gujarat Titans, which is also on Sunday. They could return by road after the match.
“Everything is fluid for the moment. The discussions are underway with the deductibles and they also discuss internally what are the travel options from Dharamsala to Delhi in case the airport remains closed,” a BCCI source in PTI told.
“An option (for Delhi’s capitals) remains a bus trip, but it is not only teams but also the broadcasting team and equipment. This is an evolving situation,” he added.
India has made precision strikes in nine places in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Jammu and Cashmere in retaliation for the terrorist attack of Pahalgam during which 26 people, mainly tourists, were murdered.
At least 18 airports in the northern and west regions of the country have been temporarily closed due to military climbing. These include Srinagar, Leh, Jammu, Amritsar, Pathankot, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Shimla, Dharamshala and Jamnagar.
Chandigarh, which is the nearest alternative airport for Dharamsala, is among those closed for operations at the moment.
During the pre-match press conference before the shock of tomorrow, the Bowling coach of the Kings of Punjab Spin Sunil Joshi said: “We follow the BCCI protocols. And all that the BCCI recommends, the management of the team will act on it.” Delhi’s capital coach Hemang Badani said his team would adapt to the challenge.
“As cricket players and people are part of the cricket environment, we are used to challenges, we are used to navigating and adapting as you go.
“We have the greatest confidence in the BCCI and the IPL board of directors to guide us and give us the right directives. And as on the side, we adapt and continue,” he said.
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