Mumbai Indians among 3 IPL 2025 teams in limbo as Operation Sindoor shuts certain airports

The Indian Premier League (IPL) may have to seek alternate avenues to keep operations running in the upcoming string of matches in Dharamsala. Several airports in the northern region have been directed to shut down in the aftermath of the Operation Sindoor on Wednesday, May 7.

In a coordinated military operation, several terrorist camps in Pakistan were successfully targeted, increasing the tension between the two neighboring nations. The airspace around the border will naturally be under strict vigilance, and according to a report by the Times of India, the government has issued a directive to shut down several airports (Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot) until 5:30 AM on May 10.

With the Chandigarh and Amritsar airports included in the aforementioned list, it complicates the logistics for franchises who are already in Dharamsala, or set to travel to the stadium.

The HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala has been the Punjab Kings (PBKS) secondary home venue for several seasons now. The scenic venue was allotted three matches in the latter stages of the IPL 2025.

Punjab Kings (PBKS), being the home side, are already stationed at the venue, along with their next opponent,s the Delhi Capitals (DC). The two sides are scheduled to face each other on Thursday, May 8. DC, however, have to leave Dharamsala for their home encounter against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday, May 11.

Mumbai Indians (MI) also have a match lined up in Dharamsala on Sunday, May 11. But, since the airports are not operational, their travel schedule might get a tad complicated.

"We will have to wait and watch for now. There is no option because even Chandigarh airport is shut so we need to see what can be done. Two teams are already here and MI were supposed to arrive later this week for their match on May 11. The nearest option is the Delhi airport but that would mean a long road journey for the teams. We are tracking government advisories and will take the call as necessary," a source told the Times of India.

It approximately takes nine hours to cover the 470 km distance between Delhi and Dharamsala, which could take a serious toll on players ahead of the IPL 2025 afternoon encounter on Sunday.

MI's travel plan for IPL 2025 clash against PBKS may be altered due to the current situation

The upcoming match between PBKS and DC is likely to go ahead as per schedule since both teams are already present at the venue. Although things may change if the government issues a new directive.

As far as the PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 fixture is concerned, it is a far more complicated issue since the five-time winners have to travel from Mumbai. So far, there have been no updates regarding the travel situation, but the expectation is that there might be a change.