‘Everyone was screaming about bombs’
A cheerleader working at the IPL 2025 match in Dharamsala has gone viral after posting a harrowing video describing her panic and confusion during a sudden stadium evacuation triggered by a blackout and air raid alerts.
The match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was abruptly halted on Thursday evening when the floodlights at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium dimmed and then completely shut off during the 11th over of Punjab’s innings.
Shortly afterward, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was seen urging spectators to evacuate, citing security concerns.
What followed was chaos, as alarms and unconfirmed fears of an incoming strike spread panic among players, staff, and fans.
“It was very scary,” the cheerleader said in a visibly shaken clip filmed while leaving the stadium. “The whole stadium was evacuated in the middle of the game. Everyone was screaming that there were bombs coming. I don’t know why I’m not crying — maybe I’m still in shock.”
“We want to really leave Dharamsala,” she said.
The alerts are believed to be linked to heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
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