A World Cup knockout race is meant to be defined by pressure, precision and fine margins. Instead, a mid-innings light spectacle has sparked a fresh debate around player welfare and competitive integrity.
During India’s Super 8 clash against West Indies at the T20 World Cup 2026 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri used the commentary box to openly question the decision to stage a laser show during the drinks break.
India were 53 for two in pursuit of 196 when the powerplay concluded. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan had both fallen for identical scores of 10, while Sanju Samson was counter-attacking with a brisk 24 off 13 balls, leaving the contest finely balanced. At that moment, the floodlights were temporarily lowered for a three-minute laser show as part of the drinks interval entertainment.
Gavaskar questions timing and tournament context
Gavaskar did not hold back in his assessment of the spectacle’s impact on players trying to recalibrate in a high-stakes chase.
“The laser show during the two-and-a-half or three minutes of the drinks break…it’s not easy on the batters, or anybody for that matter. To get your eyes used to the light, to get the bright lights again, you have darkness around you. You have a laser thing going on. This is the World Cup. And for two and a half minutes, do you need this kind of entertainment? In the IPL, it’s fine in the middle of the IPL. Not in the knockouts, but in the middle of the IPL, that is fine. But at the moment here, in the World Cup, do we need these laser shows in the middle of the drinks break, at the drinks interval?” Gavaskar said on commentary.
Shastri flags concentration concerns
Ravi Shastri echoed Gavaskar’s concerns, focusing on the practical challenge of refocusing under altered lighting conditions.
“And from the players’ point of view, to switch back on, is never easy. It’s serious stuff,” Shastri said on commentary.
The India vs West Indies encounter, described as a virtual quarter-final, eventually went down to the wire before India secured a five-wicket victory to confirm their semifinal berth. But the debate around match-day production values versus on-field fairness has now taken centre stage.
Maxwell’s 2023 complaint resurfaces
The discussion has also revived comments made by Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell during the 2023 ODI World Cup, when he addressed a similar issue following Australia’s win over the Netherlands.
Recalling a light show experience at Perth Stadium during a Big Bash League match, Maxwell said at the post-match press conference: “Well, I had something like that light show similar happened at Perth Stadium during a Big Bash game and I just felt like it gave me shocking headaches and it takes me a while for my eyes to readjust. I just think it’s the dumbest idea for cricketers when you’ve got this thing coming at you quickly and your eyes take so long to adjust and I think we just lost a wicket and the Perth Stadium lights went nuts and I was at the other end and it took me ages to get my eyes to go again and I felt like I had a headache. So I just try and cover up as much as I possibly can and ignore it but it’s a horrible, horrible idea. Great for the fans, but horrible for the players,”
Maxwell’s remarks, originally linked to franchise cricket, now appear directly relevant to ICC tournament staging decisions.
Entertainment versus elite performance
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has increasingly embraced fan-centric experiences, blending sport with spectacle to enhance in-stadium engagement. However, as Gavaskar and Shastri pointed out, the line between entertainment and competitive disruption remains delicate.
