IPL teams evacuated from Dharamshala amid rising security concerns

Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals contingents were on Friday evacuated from Dharamsala and were escorted to the Jalandhar railway station in batches through Hoshiarpur amid tight security, Kangra's Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri has revealed.

The squads are currently in transit to New Delhi aboard a special train, said the official.

The IPL match between Punjab and Delhi was called off mid-way on Thursday after Pakistan attempted to invade the airspace near Chandigarh with a drone attack, mandating an Indian retaliation.

"On Friday morning, the entire contingents of both teams, including players, coaching staff, and broadcast personnel, were moved in around 40 to 50 small vehicles from Dharamsala to Hoshiarpur, located at the Punjab border," the official said.

She said this convoy was escorted by the Kangra Police and the Punjab Police took over the security arrangements once the vehicles reached Hoshiarpur.

From there, they were moved to Jalandhar to board the specially arranged train.

Speaking on the evacuation process on Thursday, Agnihotri said: "The stadium was cleared within 20 minutes. Our first priority was the safety of everyone present. Both teams' players were immediately called back from the ground and shifted to their respective hotels under tight security." Earlier in the day, the IPL was suspended because of the military confrontation, which was triggered by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were gunned down.

The BCCI stated that national interest trumps other considerations at a time when the country is responding to a terror attack and unwarranted aggression from across the border.