IND vs SA: BCCI Introduce Drinks Break In T20I Series To Counter Heat Factor – Report
Published - 09 Jun 2022, 02:21 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:08 AM
Team India is set to kick off the five-match T20 Internationals as they take on Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the first match on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
This would also mean international cricket would return to the national capital after more than two years since Kotla hosted the first T20I between India and Bangladesh in November 2019.
We expected it to be hot, not this hot: Temba Bavuma
The talking point of the game is the intense heat hovering above 40 degrees celsius this week with rains yet to hit the national capital.
“We expected it to be hot, not this hot. Fortunately, the games are being played in the evening. At night, it is more bearable. The guys are trying to keep themselves hydrated. Keeping themselves as mentally fresh as they can,” Bavuma said in a press conference on Wednesday.
“Hydration, cramping and fatigue are big things. We can only get used to it by playing in this heat. And unfortunately for us, we are doing it in competitive cricket,” he added.
BCCI to introduce drinks break in India-South Africa T20Is – Report
According to a Times of India report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to introduce drinks break between 10 overs of each innings.
The decision was made to give players respite from the heat during the entire T20I series. Normally, T20 International matches don’t have drink breaks but the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced the facility during the T20 World Cup last year in UAE.
On the eve of the five-match T20I series opener, India suffered twin blows as opener KL Rahul and spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav were ruled out due to injuries.
Rahul was initially named captain of the 18-member squad in regular skipper Rohit Sharma’s absence. However, the Karnataka player suffered a right groin injury before the series could kick-off.
Kuldeep was also injured while batting in a training session. Pant, who was appointed Rahul’s deputy for the five-match series, was elevated in the captain’s role with Hardik as his deputy.
