“Dropped my mic mid-sentence”- Matthew Hayden reveals brush with death amidst Pakistan’s drone attack on Indian during IPL 2025

Former Australia opener-turned-commentator Matthew Hayden revealed his near brush with death as he was present in Dharamshala during the IPL 2025, commentating in the match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, when the encounter was halted midway.

This was done as Pakistan began bombarding Pathankot with drones, which were mere kilometers away from Dharamshala, where the match was taking place. First, the light towers began shutting down as authorities directed the ground staff to end the match, and even IPL chairman Arun Dhumal was seen guiding the crowd presence at the HPCA stadium towards the exit.

Several players have shared their stories in the months after, including Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women's team, whose husband, Mitchell Starc, played for the Capitals. Now, former Australian batter Matthew Hayden has told the commentators how the whole thing happened.

“I’d flown from Mumbai overnight to Delhi because there wasn’t a connecting flight with Punjab’s home ground (for that game), Dharamsala. Magnificent ground. But by the time I landed in Delhi, there was no airport open.

It was at the time that coincided with the incursion of Pakistan back into India, and we were talking about drones navigating across the skies, taking out ground-to-air missiles, and it was just eerie. We had to take a car via Chandigarh up to Dharamsala. That’s an 11-and-a-half- to 12-hour drive. By the time we reached the venue, we were told the game was about to proceed,” said Hayden on the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast.

Next minute security came…: Matthew Hayden reveals situation in commentary box

The stadium lights going out was the first indication that something strange was happening. At first, it appeared to be a technical problem on broadcast, but gradually the entire stadium went dark, and there were rumors that the venue was being evacuated because of the possibility of a drone strike.

During that time, several large Indian cities had conducted blackout drills. Before the game, the commentators were informed that the lights going out would not be a technical problem, according to Hayden.

“But half an hour before we went on air, we were given a security message that if the light towers were to go out, it’s not a technical issue. It’s actually a sign that the venue has been compromised and there will be an emergency evacuation response, and we will proceed,” he said.

“I was mid-sentence with my usual garbage on air, and the first light tower went out, so I’ve let the spectators and fans know that it has gone out. Then the second goes almost immediately. The next minute, security came in like a blanket. Dropped my mic literally mid-sentence, and we were ushered out of the ground,” he added.

According to Hayden, the IPL has been a "great survivor" in light of the numerous events it has survived over its history.

“It’s been a great survivor, and it’s lasted incredible events historically for India. It got moved in the second year to South Africa due to elections. We had Covid, and it seemed to survive that we moved from Dubai over to the Middle East,” he said.

The IPL 2025 was suspended for 10 days and resumed later when things cooled down.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!