The man who arguably played the lead role in bringing Test cricket the attention it deserved, Virat Kohli, is set to play his 100th match in the longest format of the game. However, much to the disappointment of many former cricketers and fans, Kohli’s 100th Test will come in an empty stadium.
With the Punjab election results set to be announced on March 10, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have barred the crowd from attending the Test match between India and Sri Lanka.
What has been tough to digest for many fans is the fact that the matches right before Kohli’s 100th Test and the one after will be featuring fans inside the stadium. Much like fans, Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar is also disappointed to see the crowd not being allowed at Mohali for the historic fixture. However, he isn’t the one to blame the BCCI or other authorities for it.
“Any game that you play, you want the crowd to be there. India has played without any crowds in recent times. Any performer, be it an actor, be it a cricketer, wants to play in front of the crowd. The 100th Test is very very special. Disappointing that there is going to be no crowd, but I think the decision has been taken in the greater interest. The cases have increased in and around Mohali, where the match is going to be played,” Gavaskar told Sports Today.
The T20I series between India and Sri Lanka in Dharamsala saw the crowd in attendance while the second Test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will also allow fan attendance, up to 50 percent.
Even the India vs West Indies T20I series at Eden Gardens had allowed fans, although in a reduced capacity. In such a scenario, that the fact Kohli’s 100th Test is being hosted at a venue where fans aren’t allowed, is a fact that hasn’t been welcomed.
