'I'm sorry ... ': Preity Zinta breaks silence after blackout halts IPL match

NEW DELHI: Days after the

Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals

clash was called off in Dharamsala due to a blackout triggered by India's ongoing military conflict with Pakistan, Punjab co-owner Preity Zinta on Sunday thanked the spectators at the stadium for maintaining calm during the crisis. The match on Thursday had seen

Punjab Kings

racing to 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs when the lights suddenly went out.

Initially believed to be a floodlight malfunction, the outage later led to the evacuation of both teams and fans from the stadium as a safety measure.Videos showing Zinta urging spectators to leave the venue in an orderly manner quickly surfaced on social media platforms.

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Describing the past few days as “crazy,” the actor said she was finally back home and appreciated the fans for being “absolute rock stars”.

"To all the people that were in the Dharamshala stadium - Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou for not panicking & for any stampedes... I'm sorry I was a bit curt & said no to pictures with everyone but the need of the hour was the safety of everyone and it was my duty & responsibility to make sure everyone stayed safe. Thank you for making it possible," she wrote on X.

At the time of evacuation, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium — which can seat about 23,000 — was around 80 per cent full.On Friday, the Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended indefinitely due to the escalating India-Pakistan tensions. According to TOI reports, the tournament is highly likely to resume by Thursday or, at the latest, by Friday.Players and staff of both PBKS and DC were escorted from Dharamsala to Jalandhar railway station in groups via Hoshiarpur, under tight security. They reached New Delhi later that night aboard a special Vande Bharat Express train.

As a precaution, airports in Dharamsala, Kangra, and Chandigarh were shut down to avert potential Pakistani strikes.In her post, Zinta also acknowledged the efforts of Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, ICC chairman Jay Shah, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, and Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon."A heartfelt thank you to Indian Railways & our Railway minister Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw for helping both IPL teams and all officials & families leave Dharamshala in a safe, swift & comfortable way. A big thank you to @JayShah, Mr Arun Dhumal, BCCI & our CEO Mr Satish Menon & the Operations team of @PunjabKingsIPL for helping co-ordinate the evacuation of our stadium in Dharamshala safely & in an orderly manner. Everything was handled so well (sic)" she added.Meanwhile, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Saturday stated that Board officials and the IPL Governing Council would meet on Sunday to work out the best possible schedule for resuming the suspended league following the declaration of an immediate ceasefire between India and Pakistan.