Overview

• Matthew Hayden and Alyssa Healy have shared first-person accounts confirming that a preplanned blackout drill signalled an evacuation during the Dharamsala fixture
• Hayden said commentators were warned pre-broadcast that any floodlight outage would indicate a security breach rather than a technical fault, prompting his abrupt mid-sentence exit
• Testimonies describe an eerie atmosphere as drones crossed the skies and ground-to-air missiles were reported near the India-Pakistan border
• BCCI emergency protocols, including blackout drills previously conducted in major Indian cities, were activated smoothly to clear players, officials and spectators
• The IPL’s handling of this crisis underscores its resilience following past disruptions such as pandemic relocations and election-related schedule changes