Preity Zinta lauds swift evacuation after IPL match halted in Dharamshala

New Delhi, May 11: Preity Zinta, the veteran actor and co-owner of Punjab Kings (PBKS), expressed her heartfelt thanks to various authorities for safely ensuring that everyone was able to leave Dharamshala after the side’s clash against Delhi Capitals was called off as a precautionary measure.

Thursday’s IPL 2025 match between PBKS and DC was called off after just 10.1 overs of play in the first innings at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala due to the military tension between India and Pakistan. Air and drone strikes from Pakistan resulted in blackouts in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, all of which are located in close proximity to Dharamshala.

The spectators were asked to vacate the stadium in a calm manner, while the players and support staff were taken back to their hotels under tight security. On Friday, both teams, along with match officials, commentators, broadcast crew members and other key IPL-related personnel, boarded buses from Dharamshala to Jalandhar, where they boarded a special Vande Bharat train and reached New Delhi on Friday night.

“Finally back home after a crazy last few days. A heartfelt thank you to Indian Railways and & our railway minister Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw for helping both IPL teams and all officials & families leave Dharamshala in a safe, swift,& comfortable way.”

“A big thank you to @JayShah, Mr Arun Dhumal, BCCI, & our CEO Mr Satish Menon and & the operations team of @PunjabKingsIPL for helping coordinate the evacuation of our stadium in Dharamshala safely & in an orderly manner. Everything was handled so well,” wrote Preity on her ‘X’ account on Sunday.

She also thanked the fans for not panicking when asked to evacuate from the stadium in Dharamshala and also apologised for being ‘curt’ with them at that moment. “Finally, to all the people that were in the Dharamshala stadium – thank you, thank you, thank you for not panicking & for any stampedes.”