Weather Woes: Kanpur ODI Abandoned Due to Relentless Rain

The first unofficial One-Day International between India A and Australia A, scheduled for Tuesday in Kanpur, was abandoned without a single delivery being bowled due to persistent rain. The match, which was to take place at the Green Park stadium, highlighted ongoing concerns about the venue’s drainage system. Last year, during India’s Test match against Bangladesh, similar drainage issues resulted in substantial play time being lost to rain, with only 35 overs possible over the first three days.

On Tuesday, the drainage system avoided criticism since the rain was relentless. However, the decision to call off the match was effectively made when rain started 20 minutes before the coin toss, a reality recognized by the teams as they departed the ground long before the official announcement.

The abandonment also marked the end of left-handed batter Priyansh Arya and pacer Simarjeet Singh’s stint with the India A squad. They will make way for Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana, who are returning from the Asia Cup, for the remaining matches.

The washout was disappointing for the fans, some of whom stayed at the venue even longer than the teams in the hope of a game, marking the first List A fixture at Green Park since 2017. The second unofficial ODI is scheduled for Friday at the same location.