We were talking about drones across the skies: Mathew Hayden opens up about scary experience during suspended IPL match at Dharamsala

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 was briefly suspended due to escalated tensions between India and Pakistan in May.

At first, the match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was abandoned after 10.1 overs were bowled in Dharamsala due to security reasons.

In the following months, few cricketers have opened about the experience during that time. Australia women’s captain Alyssa Healy, whose husband Mitchell Starc was playing for the Capitals had earlier spoken about how they felt. Now, former Australia batter Matthew Hayden has revealed how the entire incident unfolded for the commentators.


Hayden gave a detailed information about his commute during the time of heightened tensions, with North Indian airspaces closed.

“I’d flown from Mumbai overnight to Delhi because there wasn’t a connecting flight with Punjab’s home ground (for that game) Dharamsala. Magnificent ground. But by the time I landed in Delhi, there was no airport open,” said Hayden on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast.

“It was at the time that coincided with the incursion of Pakistan back into India and we were talking drones navigating across the skies, taking out ground to air missiles and it was just eerie. We had to take a car via Chandigarh up to Dharamsala. That’s a 11 and a half, 12 hour drive. By the time we reached the venue we were told the game was about to proceed.”

The first signs of things not being normal was the switching off the stadium lights. While it had seemed like a technical issue on air, eventually the whole stadium went dark and reports emerged of the venue being evacuated due to threat of a drone strike.

Many major Indian cities had undergone blackout drills during that period. Hayden said that the commentators were told before the match that the lights going out will not be a technical issue.

“But half an hour before we went on air we were given a security message that if the light towers were to to go out, it’s not a technical issue. It’s actually a sign that the venue has been compromised and there will be an emergency evacuation response and we will proceed,” he said.

“I was mid-sentence with my usual garbage on air and the first light tower goes out so I’ve let the spectators and fans know that it has gone out. Then the second goes almost immediately. Next minute security came in like a blanket. Dropped my mic literally mid-sentence and we were ushered out of the ground,” he said.

Hayden further said that the tournament has been a “great survivor” considering the events it has managed to see through over the course of its existence.

“It’s been a great survivor and it’s lasted incredible events historically for India. It got moved in the second year to South Africa due to elections. We had Covid and it seemed to survive that we moved to Dubai over to the middle east,” he said.