Operation Sindoor impact on IPL: Mumbai Indians were supposed to fly to Chandigarh on Wednesday evening and from there to Dharamsala, but that plan has now been cancelled due to logistic hurdles. This is because several airports along the border of Pakistan – Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot – have been closed until 5:30 am IST on May 10th, following India's strikes on Pakistan terrorist camps early Wednesday as part of Operation Sindoor.
There is no clarity yet on whether they would be able to fly out of Mumbai. The team was all packed and set to fly, but with the government order on airport shutdowns, they are still camped in Mumbai. However, Mumbai airport runway operations are scheduled to be closed for six hours tomorrow (Thursday, May 8th) for pre-monsoon maintenance, not due to Operation Sindoor.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Multiple airlines have already issued advisories and have suspended operations because of the current geopolitical situation. It is now set to impact the travel plans of few Indian Premier League (IPL) teams who are in Dharamsala, and were scheduled to reach this week for their respective matches.
While Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are already there for their match on May 8, Mumbai Indians (MI) were scheduled to reach later this week.
As of now, unless there is a government directive, the match between DC and PBKS will go as per schedule.
With Dharamsala airport, and neighbouring Amritsar and Chandigarh airports shut, the teams and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would look to swing a travel plan in action.
"We will have to wait and watch for now. There is no option because even Chandigarh airport is shut so we need to see what can be done. Two teams are already here and MI were supposed to arrive later this week for their match on May 11. The nearest option is the Delhi airport but that would mean a long road journey for the teams. We are tracking government advisories and will take the call as necessary," said a senior BCCI official.
Who's that IPL player?Both PBKS and DC haven't heard anything from the Indian cricket board.
Dharamsala is set to host two fixtures this week and the current airspace situation could well force the Indian cricket board to keep the alternatives ready.