Actress and Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta shared a note addressing the unexpected incident during the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals on Thursday. 

The match, held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala, was cancelled midway after just 10.1 overs due to security concerns.

In an Instagram post, Preity thanked various authorities and expressed gratitude to the fans for remaining calm. 

She wrote, “Finally back home after a crazy last few days. A heartfelt thank you to Indian Railways & 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 & the Operations team of @PunjabKingsIPL for helping co coordinate the evacuation of our stadium in Dharamshala safely & in an orderly manner. Everything was handled so well.”

She continued, “Finally, to all the people that were in the Dharamshala stadium – Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou for not panicking & for any stampedes. You guys are absolute rock stars. I’m sorry I was a bit curt & said no to pictures with everyone but the need of the hour was the safety of everyone and it was my duty & responsibility to make sure everyone stayed safe. Thank you for making it possible. Love you all.”

The match was halted following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities, including Jammu and Pathankot. Players, match officials, and broadcast crews were safely transported to Delhi via train. Videos from the stadium showed Preity Zinta addressing the crowd and requesting them to exit the venue after the cancellation was announced.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a statement suspending the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a week due to rising border tensions between India and Pakistan.