As Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals ends abruptly in IPL 2025 due to a sudden evacuation, we take a trip down memory lane to revisit some of cricket’s most bizarre abandoned matches
The IPL 2025 clash between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was shaping up to be a blockbuster in the hills of Dharamsala. Punjab had raced to 122/1 in just 10.1 overs, with Priyansh Arya's blistering 70 off 34 balls lighting up the HPCA Stadium. Then, suddenly, everything went cold.
Initially, fans watching on television were told it was a "technical failure." But the real reason behind the game being abandoned? A red alert was issued in Jammu. The authorities acted swiftly, evacuating everyone — fans, players, officials. It happened so fast that some players reached their hotel still padded up. Not a run more was scored. Just a strange silence fell over the ground.
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It wasn't raining, nor a power failure. It was something entirely off-field that shut the match down. But as odd as this may sound, cricket has seen stranger things before. Let's rewind the clock and revisit some of the most bizarre interruptions the sport has seen.
The Eden Gardens crowd doesn't like defeat. When India was on the verge of losing to Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup semi-final, all hell broke loose. Bottles were thrown, seats were set ablaze, and the crowd lost control.
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With India collapsing at 120 for 8 while chasing 252, the spectators took matters into their own hands. The match was awarded to Sri Lanka—not by runs or wickets but by crowd invasion. Vinod Kambli's teary walk off the field became one of Indian cricket's most haunting images.
Fast-forward to Jamaica, 1998. The Test match between the West Indies and England lasted less than 11 overs. The pitch at Sabina Park was so hard and unpredictable that the ball reared up off a length, posing a serious injury threat.
England was reeling at 17/3 before umpires Steve Bucknor and Venkataraghavan huddled with captains and the match referee. The verdict? Abandon the match. It was the first Test match to be called off due to pitch danger in over 122 years.
Just ten balls. That's all the cricket fans in Antigua saw when the West Indies played England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in 2009. The sand-based outfield turned the game into a beach outing, minus the fun. The surface was so unstable that players were slipping and sliding everywhere.
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The match was abandoned in the second over. As punishment, the ICC barred the stadium from hosting international games until it improved.
India vs. Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla in 2009 became a dangerous affair. The pitch behaved badly, with multiple deliveries bouncing sharply and injuring Lankan batters.
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At 83 for 5, the Lankan team had already endured enough blows. The umpires called off the match, citing player safety. A BCCI panel later declared "the Kotla pitch unfit for international cricket."
Australia's Big Bash League wasn't spared either. In 2023, the clash between the Melbourne Renegades and the Perth Scorchers was halted after 6.5 overs due to an uneven pitch in Geelong. Rain had seeped under the covers, creating a patch so dangerous that balls were flying off it at absurd angles.
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TV commentators debated the situation live. "Is there a genuine threat to batters?" asked Michael Vaughan. Adam Gilchrist answered — "I think there is." Enough said. The game was called off shortly after.
It was supposed to be a routine ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Nehru Stadium in Indore in 1997. However, the pitch didn't read the script. Javagal Srinath hit Roshan Mahanama on the knuckles, and chaos followed.
Both teams agreed to abandon the match with the pitch crumbling and players getting injured within the first three overs. It was a clear case of "thanks, but no thanks."
