Drone strike near Rawalpindi stadium prompts PSL match relocation

A drone, reportedly launched from India, crashed near Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium just hours before a scheduled Pakistan Super League (PSL) match, prompting the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to move Thursday’s fixture to Karachi amid heightened security concerns.

According to Al Jazeera, the incident occurred earlier in the day, ahead of the match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, which was scheduled to start at 8:30 PM local time. Bangladeshi pacer Nahid Rana is part of the Peshawar Zalmi squad.

Following the incident, the PCB suspended all remaining PSL matches in Rawalpindi and indicated that the rest of the tournament may be relocated to Karachi. An emergency meeting has been convened to finalize the revised schedule.

Reports suggest multiple drones were launched from Indian territory targeting cities across Pakistan, with at least three aimed at Rawalpindi. One drone reportedly struck a food stall area within the stadium’s premises.

Currently, five out of six PSL franchises are based in Islamabad. The PSL final was originally set to take place in Lahore on May 18, but the entire tournament schedule is now under review.