Minister Claims Cyber Attack Dimmed IPL. Reality Says Otherwise.
In what can only be described as a masterclass in unintentional stand-up comedy, Pakistan’s Defence Minister recently claimed that Pakistani cyber experts “switched off the IPL stadium lights” as part of a successful cyber attack on India. No, this isn’t from The Onion or a parody account—it’s a real quote from a real minister, attempting to flex his country’s “cyber power” with the most bizarre metric imaginable: floodlights during cricket.
While international cyber agencies scratch their heads and Indian netizens roll with laughter, this statement has set a new benchmark for propaganda without proof. Because if disabling stadium lights was the plan, perhaps they confused cyber warfare with load-shedding.
Let’s unpack this hilarity, byte by byte.
Pakistan’s Cyber Warfare Plan? Switch Off Lights During Cricket Matches
According to the Defence Minister of Pakistan, their cyber teams launched operations that “disrupted IPL matches by switching off lights.” That’s right—while the world worries about ransomware, state surveillance, and infrastructure hacking, Pakistan has apparently redirected its cyber arsenal to targeting… cricket electricity.
"Our cyber warriors hacked stadium floodlights during IPL & Indian Dam gates"
— BALA (@erbmjha) June 14, 2025
TECHNOLOGIA 💀😂 pic.twitter.com/vljyM4bcGM
Not only is there no evidence that any IPL match was ever halted due to a cyberattack (most delays are due to rain or dew), but IPL broadcast data and stadium logs show no such events. Even during power cuts, stadiums are backed by redundant systems and on-site generators. In short, even if someone pulled the plug, cricket would carry on.
Cybersecurity experts were quick to dismiss the claim as absurd, pointing out that no Indian agency—including CERT-IN or BCCI’s IT division—reported any suspicious disruption.
“If Pakistan’s top defence official believes this counts as cyber warfare, then we’re clearly watching two different movies,” quipped an Indian analyst.
Bizarre Claim Sparks Memes, But No IPL Match Was Disrupted
So why make such an embarrassingly unverifiable claim? Analysts suggest it’s a mix of psy-ops theatre and domestic distraction tactics. With Pakistan facing economic collapse, political protests, and inflation, such bizarre statements create a temporary smokescreen for media consumption back home.
But the internet doesn’t forget. The “we turned off IPL lights” quote has already sparked memes, parodies, and YouTube roasts across South Asia. It joins a hall of fame that includes past boasts like “capturing Indian pigeons,” and editing government websites with HTML to show hacks.
India, for its part, hasn’t even dignified the claim with a response—because debating fiction isn’t national policy. Meanwhile, cricket matches continue uninterrupted, the lights are very much on, and the only thing flickering is Pakistan’s credibility.
