A bomb threat was received at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the India U-19 vs Australia U-19 second Test match. As reported by Sportstar, both sets of players were still at the venue when the threat came. The threat was sent via email and received by the authorities around 11 am IST, just before the match concluded at around 11:15 am IST.
According to the report, a Cyber Cell team immediately arrived at the stadium to investigate the email. The players were, however, not initially informed about the development. The two teams later left the venue at around 1 pm IST after being made aware of the situation and following the necessary protocols. Local police later confirmed that the mail was a hoax.
The Narendra Modi Stadium was not the only establishment in Ahmedabad to receive such a threat on Wednesday. The Gujarat High Court and several schools and colleges across the city received similar emails during the morning.
GCA informs police of the threat
Anil Patel, the secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association, later said that they contacted the police immediately after receiving the threat. “We informed the local police as soon as we received the email. This has happened a couple of times earlier as well, including during the World Cup 2023 and IPL,” Patel said, as quoted by Sportstar.
The emails also mentioned Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh. They warned people against attending the singer’s concert scheduled for November 21 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. There were pro-Khalistan messages in the emails, along with a reference to Dosanjh’s November 1 performance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Authorities subsequently deployed security personnel and bomb detection teams at the educational institutions that had received such messages.
The security scare came shortly after India U-19 completed a dominant 10-wicket win against Australia U-19 in the second Youth Test. Debutant Tanmay Baloda led India with a remarkable bowling performance, picking up 14 wickets on his U-19 debut. Although the threats were received while the two teams were still at the stadium, no security emergency emerged. Both sets of players completed the game and later left the venue safely, in accordance with the necessary protocols.
Also Read: A record-breaking debut, 14 wickets vs Australia: Meet Tanmay Baloda, India’s new U-19 spin sensation
Incidents from before
A similar security scare occurred at the Narendra Modi Stadium during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Multiple threats were received ahead of the India vs Pakistan match, including warnings about an explosion at the venue. Police later arrested a 29-year-old man from Rajkot for allegedly sending such an email to the BCCI. Appropriate measures were taken by the authorities in the build-up to the match, with security around the venue significantly tightened.
Another such development was reported before the IPL 2025 match between the Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants on May 14. The Gujarat Cricket Association received an email that said, “We will blast your stadium.” Police, along with bomb disposal and dog squads, searched the dressing rooms, stands, galleries, VIP boxes, media centre and surrounding areas, but nothing suspicious was detected.