HPCA Officials Offer Prayers To Snake God To Keep Rain Away During India-South Africa ODI In Dharamsala

In order to make sure that rain stays away when India and South Africa take on each other in the first ODI in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) officials have taken a unique step. The officials have offered their prayers at the local Indru Nag Temple in hope that rain will not play spoilsport. The temple gets its name from the Snake (Nag) king and is located on a plateau that’s now been converted into a paragliding site.

According to the Indian Express, Indru Nag is a local deity with a cult-like following in this neck of the woods. It is widely believed that if a person has the blessings of this deity, his wishes will get fulfilled. Dharamsala’s unpredictable weather makes it tough for the venue to get regular international games. The last international game at the venue, incidentally a T20I between India and South Africa, was also washed out without a ball being bowled.

To make sure that the upcoming game does not suffer the same fate, the HPCA officials are seeking god’s blessings. The game is scheduled to take place on March 12.

“Yes, some of our officials have offered players at the Indru Nag Temple last week. Since the last match in Dharamsala was abandoned because of heavy rain, we didn’t want to take a chance now,” HPCA secretary Sumit Sharma said.

Any better view? ??️? #INDvsSA
Hello Dharamshala ? #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/FyQDRQ3Vty

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 10, 2020

The news outlet further stated that there’s another interesting anecdote attached to the tradition of offering prayers at the Indru Nag temple. Just days before the first international match was to be played at this venue — India vs England ODI in 2013 — the state association officials rushed to their local deity.

They were rewarded with a full match without interruptions. But it’s believed that barring the periphery of the stadium premises, there was a heavy downpour that washed out Dharamsala and parts of Dharamkot and Mcleodganj.

Meanwhile, India will be looking to bounce back against South Africa after the disastrous tour of New Zealand. The Virat Kohli-suffered crushing whitewashes in the three-match ODI series and the two-match Test series after sweeping the five-match T20I series.

Also Read: India vs South Africa 2020: Five Players To Watch Out For