During the 2023 World Cup match between India and New Zealand in Dharamshala on October 22, India’s captain Rohit Sharma briefly left the field after a concerning injury incident caused by the imperfect outfield conditions at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
In the 10th over of New Zealand’s innings, during the final delivery, Rohit Sharma made a sliding attempt to prevent a boundary. Unfortunately, the ball became lodged, resulting in a minor injury to his right hand.
During Rohit’s temporary absence, wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul took the leadership on the field, as vice-captain Hardik Pandya was sidelined due to an ankle injury. However, after some time, the captain came to the field which gave relief to the fans.
The condition of the outfield at this particular venue has been a cause for concern since the opening match of the tournament, which took place between Afghanistan and Bangladesh on October 7. This is the fourth match at this venue in this ODI World Cup and players have faced difficulties while fielding.
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Both England and Afghanistan had previously raised concerns about the dull outfield conditions in Dharamsala. While talking to ANI, HPCA Secretary Mohit Sood said, “We recently redid the whole ground and we had got in Bermuda grass which is winter grass and the first time it is used in the country the weather has been difficult for the last six months there has been a lot of rain and the winter had prolonged.”
He further stated, “We are hopeful and we are working overnight to rectify the problem so that the players don’t face any issues when they are fielding. Yeah, definitely you can see it for yourself. The condition has improved over the last game.”
