IPL 2025: Pretty eventful evening, Mo Bobat recalls chaos in Dharamsala as Indo-Pak conflict halts league

Bengaluru, May 16 (IANS) “Pretty eventful evening”: That’s how Mo Bobat, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Director of Cricket, offered a firsthand account of the moment the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 came to a screeching halt on May 8 due to the sudden outbreak of military conflict between India and Pakistan.

RCB had just completed their practice session in Dharamsala ahead of their scheduled clash with Lucknow Super Giants on May 9. While returning to the hotel on the team bus, players began noticing something strange.

“A lot of the guys were watching the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals game on their phones,” Bobat said. “Suddenly, the floodlights went out, and players left the field. We weren’t too sure what was going on.”

It was only after reaching the hotel that the reality began to sink in. Reports and rumours began circulating rapidly — whispers of conflict, security alerts, and the possible suspension of the tournament. “There was a lot of confusion, a lot of chat in the corridors,” Bobat said. “That evening was filled with speculation, and by the next morning, we got confirmation that our match was off and the IPL was being suspended for a period.”

At that moment, Bobat admitted there was genuine concern that the season might be over. “Our initial impression was that the competition would be called off for some time. You don’t expect a conflict like that to resolve itself as quickly as it did.”

The focus swiftly shifted to ensuring player safety and well-being. “We were quite keen to send the players home because it was a good opportunity for them to take a break. For Indian players, that was relatively simple. For overseas players, Andy [Flower] and I sat them down and asked them what they wanted to do. Most of them said, ‘Look, we’d like to go home during this uncertain period—but we’re committed, and if needed, we’ll come back."

Just five days later, when the BCCI announced that the IPL would resume, the RCB think tank was thrust into action once more. What followed was a frantic 48-hour period of coordination, reassurance, and diplomacy.

“We found out Monday evening that the tournament was back on,” Bobat recalled. “Overnight, we started pulling together as much security detail as possible because we had to share that with the players.”

The overseas recall operation wasn’t as simple as booking flights. It involved direct engagement with national cricket boards, including the ECB, Cricket Australia, South Africa, and the West Indies, who needed assurance about the security environment their players would be returning to.

“I lined up video calls with all our overseas players,” Bobat said. “We walked them through the security protocols, the revised schedule, and how RCB intended to take care of them. That clarity was crucial—we wanted them to feel safe and happy to return.”

--IANS

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