Australian women’s cricket captain and wife of fast bowler Mitchell Starc, Alyssa Healy, has broken her silence over the chaos surrounding the recently suspended IPL match held in Dharamshala. Healy was present in the stands watching her husband, who was representing Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings, when the match was abruptly halted.
In her statement, Alyssa Healy expressed concern over the complete lack of communication at the venue, which left both players and spectators confused and anxious. “We were in Dharamshala watching Mitch’s game when suddenly things went south. There was a real absence of information, and the uncertainty was unsettling,” she said.
The Australian captain noted that the confusion led to widespread concern among Australian players and their families. “In our group chats, there was panic because we had no idea what was happening,” she added, suggesting that going forward, Australian cricketers should be provided clear security guarantees before committing to tournaments like the IPL.
Healy emphasized that the most frightening part of the ordeal was the misinformation. “We were told everything was fine, that the threat was far away and the game would continue. Then suddenly, the stadium was evacuated, which was the right call — but it wasn’t handled in a reassuring way,” she said.
Describing the chaotic moments, Healy recalled, “One moment we were watching the game, the next, the floodlights went out. It felt surreal. Families and support staff were asked to move urgently. A man came over, grabbed a child, and said, ‘We need to leave now.’ We had no idea what was happening.”
She further revealed that the players and their families were ushered into a small room. “Faf du Plessis didn’t even have his shoes on. Everyone looked scared. Mitchell later told me that a missile had landed 60 kilometers away in a nearby village, causing a blackout in Dharamshala. After 30 minutes of sheer chaos, we were finally back at the hotel,” she recalled.
The incident occurred on May 8 during the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals. The game was in the 11th over of Punjab’s innings when it was halted. Initially, officials blamed a floodlight malfunction, but shortly after, the match was called off entirely. Spectators in the stadium were quickly evacuated.
The next day, the IPL was temporarily suspended due to the security concerns. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has since announced that the remaining matches will be rescheduled from May 17 to June 3.
Alyssa Healy’s remarks have intensified scrutiny over IPL’s preparedness and crisis management protocols, especially when international players and their families are involved in high-stakes tournaments.
