What happened in Dharamsala last Thursday was unprecedented in the history of the IPL. A chain of drone strikes by Pakistan in northern and northwestern India triggered air raid alarms in surrounding areas, resulting in an unexpected power failure in the hill town. The interruption took place during the IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals.
Dharamsala Blackout Created Panic
First downplayed by broadcasters as a standard floodlight failure, the gravity of the situation was realized when videos emerged where IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was asking fans to leave the stadium immediately. The incident created panic not only among the fans but also within the teams.
Also Read: Good News For RCB! Josh Hazlewood Coming Back For IPL 2025
Jake Fraser McGurk Most Affected
The effect on players, particularly the foreigner contingent, was immense. Among them was Australia’s promising opener Jake Fraser-McGurk Delhi Capitals’, who was said to be the most traumatised. Only 22 years of age, Jake was the youngest player on the ground and found the ordeal extremely traumatic.
BCCI Helped In Safe Evacuation
After the attack, the BCCI quickly arranged an emergency evacuation of all the players, staff, and crew the following morning. Many foreign players, including Fraser-McGurk, decided to head back home. The league was suspended temporarily after the attack.
Fraser McGurk Opts Out Of IPL 2025
Even though the BCCI subsequently confirmed that the tournament would be restarted from May 17, Fraser-McGurk chose not to return to his team due to “personal reasons.” People privy to the situation indicate that the incident during the match had a profound effect on the young Australian, leading him to pull out of the rest of IPL 2025.
Jake Was “Shaken The Most”
“I’m honestly not sure. He is still tossing up a decision. I spoke to him this morning, and he is still unsure,” Shanon Young, coach of Fraser-McGurk, told TimesofIndia.com. “He was shaken more than most. Not surprising given he is the youngest of the tourists, and he was quite uneasy the day before the game and then obviously after we were evacuated and then the subsequent trip back to Delhi.
Delhi Captials Provide Top-Notch Safety
“He wasn’t in a good way, and I am very thankful I was there to help guide him through that. It was hard enough for a 50-year-old well-travelled man, let alone a kid.
“The Delhi Capitals staff and organisation as a whole were amazing and always had our safety as paramount, as soon as all this happened. They really were incredible in a time of uncertainty,” he added.
