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Rohit Sharma-led Team India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against England at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Coming into the second ODI after taking a 1-0 lead, India continued their dominance, courtesy a match-winning century knock from the skipper’s bat. While the match was nothing short of an entertainer, it also saw some hindrance as floodlight failure halted the match on Sunday evening.
Chasing a target of 305 runs with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in the middle, the incident unfolded in the seventh over. When the opening duo looked good, hitting the English bowlers all over the park, their rhythm was unexpectedly cut short as one of the light towers at the stadium suffered a malfunction, leaving a part of the ground in partial darkness.
Odisha government issues show cause notice to Barabati Stadium over floodlights failure
With the stadium officials fixing the glitch, the game saw a brief halt of nearly 30 minutes. Seeing this, the Odisha government has sought after an explanation from the officials regarding the unexpected incident. The authorities have issued a show cause notice, demanding a detailed report on the technical issue within the next ten days.
"During the 2nd One Day International (ODI) cricket match between India and England on 9th February 2025 at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, one floodlight was off, and the match was disrupted. This incident led to about 30 minutes suspension of the match, causing inconvenience to players and spectators," Government of Odisha's letter read.
"Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is hereby directed to submit a detailed explanation for the cause of the disruption and identify the persons/ agencies who were responsible for such lapses and outline the measures taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. The findings must be submitted within 10 days upon receipt of this letter," it further added.
It is to be noted that an ODI match took place at the Barabati Stadium in nearly six years. Owned and operated by Orissa Olympic Association, the Barabati Stadium is one of the oldest sporting venues in the country. The stadium went on to host only the third ODI played in India in 1982, followed by its first Test match when India played Sri Lanka in 1987. From thereon till early 2000s, the stadium served as a regular venue, but later went down the pecking order.
