The three remaining Twenty20 matches between India and England in Ahmedabad will be held behind closed doors due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Gujarat, the state’s cricket association said on Monday.
A sizeable crowd attended the world’s biggest cricket stadium for the first two matches of the series, with most fans in the stands not wearing masks.
Virat Kohli plays a shot during Sunday’s T20 clash with England.Credit:Getty
The series is tied at 1-1 and the final three games of the five-match series will be played on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Dhanraj Nathwani, vice-president of the GCA, said on Twitter that fans who have bought tickets for the three matches would get a refund and urged those who received complimentary tickets to stay away.
England won the first match by eight wickets while India won the second by seven wickets.
Joe Root criticised the pitch after England’s two-day Test defeat in Ahmedabad.Credit:Getty
Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has avoided being hit with demerit points after the pitch for the pink-ball Test between India and England was rated as “average” despite the match lasting only two days.
Venues can be suspended for a year if they pick up five demerit points and for two years if they pick up 10.
A “below average” rating by the International Cricket Council’s match referee brings one point, a “poor” rating brings three while the lowest rating of “unfit” comes with five.
