India will host Bangladesh in the first Twenty-20 International (T20I) of the three-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday.
Amidst the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, the cricket match seems to be oddly timed. Concerns have been raised from several corners asking the match to be shifted from a different venue.
Meanwhile, that fell to deaf ears as BCCI President Sourav Ganguly cleared that the game would go as planned and India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma followed the decision with his nod to play the match.
IND vs BAN, 1st T20I: Weather Report
With the Air Quality Index (AQI) seeing a sharp rise on Sunday and thick cover of smog turning from bad to worse, a senior Delhi District and Cricket Association (DDCA) official said that things have turned a “little grim” now.
“Contrary to the belief that showers on Saturday would have helped settle things down, today is the worst of the lot. The eyes are hurting and visibility is at an all-time low,” the official was quoted as saying to IANS.
“The call has to be taken by the match referee and he will consult the umpires. They can also check with the groundstaff to decide on the fate of the match if the condition stays the way it is. But then again, you never know with the weather and things could change in the evening. But if you go by the current scenario, things are a little grim, to be honest,” he said.
There seems to be no quick solution for the smog and one can only hope that the sun comes out for a few hours. Also, there has been no forecast for rain anytime soon. The temperature is expected to hover around 20-21 degree Celcius with a strong presence of dew during the match hours.
IND vs BAN, 1st T20I: Pitch Report
The pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground has been a traditional spinner-friendly track. But the shades of grass added with the dew during the evening hours could also mean a batting-heaven. The smaller boundaries should also come into play to add more to the batsmen’s favour.
Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah echoed the same. “The pitch has a little grass on it. I think it would be suitable for the batsmen. The onus will be on the batting lineup to score big runs to give our bowlers a chance of winning the match, he was quoted as saying by ANI.