Damp patches on the pitch forces abandonment of first T20I of the year
India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bowl before it started to pour down 15 minutes prior to start of the play. The rain continued to play hide and seek, before it stopped completely at 7:48pm IST. The groundsmen managed to get the outfield ready, but the water had seeped onto the pitch resulting in a damp patch which was also pointed out by Kohli amidst the inspection scenes.
The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka has been abandoned due to rain.#INDvSL pic.twitter.com/yjJVcv2QgV
— ICC (@ICC) January 5, 2020
The ground staff tried almost every possible measure, even rolling a steam iron onto the surface after having already used a hair dryer earlier, but all to no avail. The play was eventually called off after the final inspection at 9:30pm IST, exactly 16 minutes before the cut-off time for a five-over game.
The second T20I will be played at Indore's Holkar Stadium on Tuesday, 7 January.