After India carried out ‘Operation Sindoor’ in Pakistan, there were several airports in the country that suspended their operations. With Dharamsala being one of the airports to shut down, the travel plans for MI and DC for their upcoming IPL game have been put into question.
In the wake of India’s strike against Pakistan and terrorism, there have been several security measures taken by the Indian government to safeguard the people of the country. Dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor’, precision strikes were launched that targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
One of the measures taken after the strike has been the closure of several airports. It is worth noting that flight operations in up to 18 airports have been suspended in the wake of the strike against Pakistan. One of the airports that has been suspended is the Dharamsala airport. The suspension of operations at the Dharamsala airport has in turn disrupted the travel plans of two IPL (Indian Premier League) franchises, namely, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.
It is worth noting that Mumbai Indians were originally slated to take on Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 11. With the local airport shut, the Mumbai Indians’ camp have been mulling over alternate routes. With the Dharamsala and Chandigarh airports shut, the team might travel to Delhi and complete their journey to Dharamsala by road.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings are slated to take on Delhi Capitals on May 8 in Dharamsala as well. The game will be proceeding as planned, as Delhi Capitals had already reached Dharamsala before the local airport was shut.
However, after the game, DC would be looking to travel from Dharamsala to New Delhi by bus for their May 11 clash against Gujarat Titans. “Everything is fluid at the moment. Discussions are on with franchises, and they are also internally discussing about what are the options of travelling from Dharamsala to Delhi in case the airport remains shut,” a BCCI source told news agency PTI.
“One option (for Delhi Capitals) remains bus journey but then it is not just about teams but also the broadcast crew and equipment. It’s an evolving situation,” the source added.
