India vs England: Final three T20Is in Ahmedabad to be held behind closed doors

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI,) in consultation with the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), has decided to conduct the final three T20Is against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium behind closed doors. The decision was arrived at following detailed discussions with the state and local health authorities.

The BCCI will continue to comply with all the regulations put in place to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus and will always put the health and safety of its fans and stakeholders at the top.

Those who have purchased tickets for any or all three T20Is will be refunded and the process for the same will be announced in due course.

First two T20Is witnessing massive crowds in Ahmedabad

The five-match series has been a witness to two games and the crowds have gathered in the Ahmedabad Stadium. As per the local officials, as many as 57,000 people, which also included volunteers and police, attended the opening match.

“We had 52,000 official admission through turnstile (tickets). There were 3,000-4,000 complimentary tickets. The rest were police and volunteers, bringing the total to about 57,000,” Anil Patel, the joint secretary of the GCA, was quoted as saying.

“Most of the crowd bought tickets at the low-end, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. There was less demand for high-end tickets,” he added. The venue has a capacity of 1,10,000 out of which the GCA allowed 50 percent.

As far as action on the field is concerned, the series is currently locked at 1-1 with the third T20I to take place on Tuesday, March 16. In the first match of the series, Eoin Morgan and Co came out trumps by eight wickets with as many as 27 balls to spare. For India, barring Shreyas Iyer, no other Indian player could make a significant impact.

However, Virat Kohli’s men made a comeback in the second game, winning by seven wickets. Ishan Kishan, who made his international debut, notched 56 runs off 32 balls. Skipper Kohli also contributed with an unbeaten 73. During the final stages of India’s run-chase, Rishabh Pant turned out with some lusty blows as well.