Foreign players fly out of India after IPL suspension
New Delhi, May 10 (PTI): Most of the foreign recruits in IPL franchises departed for their respective countries on Saturday following the suspension high-profile T20 League which was halted for a week due to India-Pakistan border tension.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended on Friday, a day after the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala was abandoned midway following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot.
With the tournament suspended, the players and support staff from various franchises have begun returning to their home-towns, while several foreign players are home-bound.
"Our players and extended staff have safely returned to Bengaluru and are now homebound to their respective cities and countries," RCB said in a statement.
RCB's foreign contingent includes Tim David, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Philip Salt, Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi, and Nuwan Thushara.
Among the overseas support staff are head coach Andy Flower, bowling coach Adam Griffith, Director of Cricket Operations Mo Bobat, team physio Evan Speechly, and analyst Freddie Wilde.
"We're deeply grateful for the swift coordination and support from the BCCI, local authorities, and the police who made this possible," the RCB statement added.
An LSG official also confirmed to PTI that some of their overseas players flew out on Saturday, while a few others opted to stay back for the time being.
For other franchises like Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), both domestic and international players have also departed for their respective locations.
According to a source, KKR players left from Hyderabad, where they were scheduled to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.
After the IPL match in Dharamsala was called off, players from Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals reached New Delhi on Friday after being evacuated and escorted to the Jalandhar railway station in batches through Hoshiarpur amid tight security.
The squads had arrived in New Delhi aboard a special 'Vande Bharat Express'.
A Punjab Kings (PBKS) source said that most of their foreign players have left for home.
Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that updates regarding the revised schedule and venues for the remainder of the tournament would be shared in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders.
The suspension of the IPL comes in the wake of India's missile strikes targeting terror infrastructure across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The strikes were carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.
Our players and extended staff have safely returned to Bengaluru and are now homebound to their respective cities and countries. 🙌
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 10, 2025
We’re deeply grateful for the swift coordination and support from the BCCI, local authorities, and the police who made this possible. 🙏🇮🇳… pic.twitter.com/8IatIo5Wwl
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
