The IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, scheduled to be held in the afternoon on May 11, has been moved from Dharamshala to Ahmedabad, confirmed Anil Patel, the Secretary of Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), on Thursday.
“Yes, we are hosting the Punjab-Mumbai IPL game. The BCCI had requested at the last minute, and we have accepted their request to host this game in Ahmedabad, as we can host it. We have also received a message from Mumbai that their side will be coming to Ahmedabad this evening.”
“But we are yet to receive a message on how the Punjab team will be arriving in Ahmedabad, though there’s a possibility of them coming via a chartered flight tomorrow morning,” said Patel to IANS.
The decision comes due to Dharamshala being amongst various cities in North India whose airports are closed till May 10, after the launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’ by the Indian armed forces on May 7, which targeted nine terrorist sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The suspension of civilian air travel to and from Dharamsala created logistical challenges for the BCCI in organising the smooth conduct of the May 11 clash between PBKS and MI. As a result, the clash has been shifted to Ahmedabad, where the Narendra Modi Stadium, the home venue of the Gujarat Titans (GT), will play host to the MI-PBKS clash.
IANS understands that the initial talk was about Mumbai hosting the game. Still, the stakeholders ultimately decided on Ahmedabad to avoid giving either of the two teams home advantage and maintain fairness in the ongoing competition.
PBKS has made Dharamshala its home base for three matches this season—against Lucknow Super Giants, which they won by 37 runs. They will take on Delhi Capitals on Thursday evening before playing their final home game in Ahmedabad.
PBKS are in third place in the points table with 15 points from 11 games, while MI are in fourth place with 14 points from 12 games. PBKS and MI are in serious contention to enter the IPL 2025 playoffs.
–Input IANS
