Ranji Trophy games in Delhi rescheduled due to smog

The BCCI on Sunday rescheduled the two smog-hit Ranji Trophy cricket matches to a yet undeclared date recognising the "extraordinary circumstances" prevailing in the national capital.

The thick smog that has shrouded the city for the past week affected two Ranji trophy cricket matches for the second consecutive day here on Sunday.

The Gujarat vs Bengal and Hyderabad vs Tripura matches at two separate venues in the national capital were abandoned for the day without a ball being bowled.

Placed on top of the table with 15 points each, Gujarat and Bengal chose to call off the second day play of the Group A match at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds due to poor visibility.

In the same manner, the Group C encounter between Hyderabad and Tripura at the Karnail Singh Stadium was also a non-starter due to the thick smog.

"The Technical Committee of the BCCI recognised the extraordinary circumstances prevailing in New Delhi and decided to reschedule the Paytm Ranji Trophy 2016-17 fifth round matches between Hyderabad-Tripura and Gujarat-Bengal after the first two days of play were lost due to smog conditions in New Delhi," Ajay Shirke, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Honorary Secretary, said on Sunday in a statement.

"The Hyderabad-Tripura match was to be played at the Karnail Singh Stadium while the Ferozeshah Kotla ground was scheduled to host the Gujarat-Bengal match from November 5, 2016 onwards."

The revised venues and dates for the two matches will be announced later and these will be played after the league phase of Ranji trophy, the statement added.

--IANS

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