India-England T20I series: remaining matches to be played in absence of crowd
Corona has overshadowed the 5 match T20 series being played between India and England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The last 3 matches of the series will now be without an audience. The matches will be played on 16, 18 and 20 March. Dhanraj Nathwani, vice-president of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), confirmed this.
Prior to the series, the Gujarat Cricket Association had asked for 100% fans entry. The decision was rescinded just before the first match. 50% of the fans were approved for entry.
Spectators to be refunded
Nathwani said that the decision has been taken only after consulting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Viewers who bought tickets for the three matches will be refunded their money. This decision has been taken in view of the increasing cases of corona in Ahmedabad.
67 thousand viewers reached to see first T20; world record after lockdown
The world’s largest cricket stadium had 67,200 fans in the first T20. This is the record for any cricket match played after the lockdown. The stadium has a capacity of 1.32 lakh spectators. Due to Corona, this stadium will now remain vacant in the remaining three matches.
5 T20 series at 1-1
The 5 T20 series between India and England is locked at 1-1. All matches will be played in Ahmedabad only. The third match will be played on 16 March. The first match was won by England by 8 wickets.
Only 50% of the viewers in the series were approved for entry
In view of the increasing cases of Corona, only 50% of the viewers in the T20 series were allowed entry on the field. It was announced by the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). The GCA said that the government’s SoP will also be followed in all five matches. Nathwani had said that only 50% of the tickets would be available online and offline. Also, the entire stadium has been sanitized. Here Covid Guidelines will be followed well.
The first international series was held in Brisbane in the presence of fans
After the lockdown, the first international series between the fans in the stadium was played between Australia and New Zealand Women’s team. This ODI series took place in Brisbane in late September last year. The first match in men’s cricket was played between New Zealand and Australia in late November. Limited fans were given entry in both the matches.
