1st India-S Africa ODI rained out, 2nd and 3rd face no fans
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|| Desk Report ||
Rain caused the abandonment of the first one-day international between India and South Africa on Thursday without a ball being bowled.
The wet outfield at HPCA Stadium delayed the toss, and persistent rain forced officials to call off the match at 5:20 p.m. local time.
The second ODI of this three-match contest will be in Lucknow on Sunday.
However, as per the Indian government’s latest health advisory regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the remaining two ODIs in Lucknow and Kolkata are expected to be played without spectators.
This latest advisory, in addition to Wednesday’s travel advisory restricting entry into India until April 15, has also cast a shadow on the Indian Premier League.
The league is scheduled to start on March 29. The government has advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India against staging the tournament.
The BCCI is considering holding the seven-week tournament without spectators, and is expected to make a final decision at a meeting on Saturday in Mumbai.
