NEW DELHI: Three days before the first T20I between India and Bangladesh, the air quality index (AQI) of Delhi stood at “severe”. However, India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma believes the smog would not be an issue for his team.
“I have just landed and haven’t had time to assess the situation. As far as I know, the game is to be played on November 3 and that is the most important thing,” the opener said.
The National Capital Region is reeling from the effects of Diwali and the stubble burning which goes on in Punjab and Haryana. Bangladesh, who practised at Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday, witnessed the problems affecting citizens here. Batsman Liton Das was briefly seen wearing a face mask as smog enveloped the stadium. No other player from Bangladesh was seen sporting any sort of protective mask.
The last time a match was played in Delhi amid smog and poor air quality was in 2017 when Sri Lanka had come to town.
During the third Test, their players sported masks and play was halted for 20 minutes due to haze. “We didn’t have problems when we played the Test match (against Sri Lanka). We are not aware of the exact discussion and I haven’t had any problem. As far as I’m aware, the match is on.”
The BCCI has made it clear that the match will go ahead but its new president Sourav Ganguly did acknowledge that due to deteriorating air quality, they would be more practical before allotting matches especially in Northern India.
When Liton was asked regarding the air quality and whether it would be a problem, he said, “I was just wearing a mask as I wasn’t feeling well. No problems as such.”