Just as India made a confident start in their chase at the Barabati Stadium on Sunday, an unexpected floodlight failure abruptly paused the second ODI for 35 minutes. The incident not only disrupted the game but also put the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an awkward position.
India had made a strong start, reaching 48 for no loss in 6.1 overs while chasing a target of 305. Rohit was batting fluently on 29 off 18 balls, having struck a boundary and three massive sixes, while Shubman Gill was on 17 from 19 deliveries.
At 6:15 pm, one of the eight floodlights near the clock tower suddenly went off. Though it briefly flickered back on at 6:21 pm, the issue persisted. As players and match officials prepared to resume play, pacer Saqib Mahmood was about to bowl to Rohit when the lights on that stand failed again. After a few minutes of uncertainty on the field, players and umpires had no choice but to retreat to their dugouts.
Despite the delay, the 45,000-strong crowd kept the atmosphere alive, dancing to popular tunes and lighting up the stadium with their mobile torches.
An OCA official later explained the reason for the delay: “The generator attached to the floodlight malfunctioned, so the lights were off on that particular stand beside the clock tower. Now we have got the back-up generator on. It took time to change the connection from one generator to the other, which caused the delay. Now it’s OK.”
Additionally, some OCA officials mentioned that all eight floodlights had undergone regular testing over the past five days to ensure match readiness, which is a standard procedure at any venue.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Stay ahead of the latest cricket industry trends by subscribing to our free cricexec “daily briefing” newsletter.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
