The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match between the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals scheduled for Thursday at the HPCA Stadium has been called off as a precautionary measure, confirmed IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal to IANS. At the time the game was halted due to stadium floodlights being turned off, Punjab Kings were strongly placed at 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs.

Speaking from Dharamsala to the news agency, Dhumal stated, "Yes, the match has been called off as a precautionary step, because there are some incidents which happened in Jammu, I believe. That's what we got to know, so we thought it’s wise to call off the game."

Sources indicate that both fans and the participating teams were being evacuated from the HPCA Stadium by tournament and local authorities due to security concerns. This development follows reports of a complete blackout in Jammu, with civilians reportedly witnessing missile streaks and drone attacks originating from Pakistan.

Further underscoring the security situation, a full blackout has been enforced in Baramulla and Pathankot, while Chandigarh has also been signaled for a complete blackout.

Earlier in the match, which commenced after a one-hour delay, Punjab Kings' openers Prabhsimran Singh (50 not out) and Priyansh Arya (70) had forged a formidable 122-run partnership.

Opting to bat first, Arya started aggressively, hitting Mitchell Starc for consecutive boundaries. Prabhsimran Singh followed suit, taking on Starc with three boundaries of his own. Arya then continued the onslaught, smashing Chameera for a four and two sixes. Despite the introduction of Axar Patel in the fifth over, Delhi Capitals found no respite as Punjab Kings raced to 69/0 by the end of the powerplay.

Arya continued his aggressive innings, lofting Axar for a six before reaching his half-century off just 25 balls. The introduction of Madhav Tiwari also failed to stem the flow of runs, with Punjab Kings reaching the 100-run mark in 8.5 overs.

Arya further accelerated, hitting Kuldeep Yadav for consecutive sixes, followed by Prabhsimran Singh hitting him for a four and then reaching his own fourth consecutive fifty off 28 balls, taking Punjab Kings to 122/0 at the halfway stage.

Delhi Capitals finally broke the dominant opening stand when Priyansh Arya attempted to hoick a delivery from T. Natarajan, but the resulting top edge was caught by the short third-man fielder. Immediately after this dismissal, the players left the field due to a sudden floodlight failure at the stadium, which ultimately led to the match being called off. The IPL governing body is expected to release further information regarding the rescheduling of the game.