Mitchell Starc’s wife Alyssa Heeli harassed the night in Dharmasala, due to which IPL 2025 was suspended

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 prepares to resume on May 17 with a match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Australian women’s captain Alyssa Healy has opened up about the harrowing experience in Dharamsala that led to the tournament’s week-long suspension. Healy, who was present at the venue supporting her husband Mitchell Starc during the Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings clash on May 8, shared a first-hand account of the confusion and fear that engulfed the stadium amid rising tensions near India’s western border.

A chaotic Dharamsala night summed up by Healy

Speaking on The Willow Talk podcast, Healy revealed that the game was halted mid-innings after light towers began to fail, just as air-raid sirens were reportedly triggered in nearby regions. “All of a sudden a couple of the light towers went out… The guy who wrangles the group of us came up and his face was white. He was like, ‘We need to go right now,’” she recalled.

What followed was a rapid evacuation of players, families, and staff into a holding room beneath the stands, as confusion reigned. “We weren’t told anything. We had no idea. Next minute we are down being shuffled into this room which was like a holding pen. All the boys were in there. We had no idea.“

“Faf [du Plessis] But there were no shoes. We were all just waiting that they looked stressed. I told Mich, ‘What’s going on?’ He said that the city was given a smack by some missiles at a distance of 60 km in the city, so there was a complete blackout in the region. So the lights were closed because the Dharmasala Stadium was like a beacon at that time. Suddenly we have come in the van and we have gone back to the hotel. Was madness “

She added that Australian players should be given clear safety guarantees, ideally from their own government, before deciding whether to return to the IPL. Describing the exit from Dharamsala, Healy revealed that she and Starc passed military installations on the way to Delhi. “We’re noticing all the SAM [surface-to-air missile] The sites that were just ready to go there. They are radar-operated systems that shoot missiles in the aircraft. It was a bit terrible. ,

IPL 2025 Revised Schedule