IND vs SA: Cuttack Stadium faced ban after crowd trouble during 2015 T20 match in Cuttack, India shamed globally

India vs South Africa T20 Series: The first match of the five-match T20 series between India and South Africa will be played today at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. This ground is filled with bitter memories for South Africa, as a major controversy erupted here during a match between these two teams in 2015, causing a stir in the entire cricket fraternity and raising questions about the stadium's international hosting capabilities.

This match was played on October 5, 2015. It was the second match of a two-match T20 series being held in Cuttack. South Africa had won the first match in Dharamshala and was looking to clinch the series. Meanwhile, India wanted to win this match and draw the series. However, the Indian team could not achieve this. The Indian team was bundled out for a mere 92 runs while batting first. Facing the lethal bowling of Albie Morkel (3/12) and Imran Tahir, the team collapsed like a pack of cards, with seven batsmen failing to reach double figures.

In response, South Africa began the chase with ease, scoring 64 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets in 11 overs. At this point, the frustration of the disappointed spectators erupted, and they started throwing water bottles onto the field. This led to a 19-minute stoppage of play. When the match resumed, only two overs had been bowled when the spectators again started throwing bottles onto the field. Umpires C.K. Nandan and Anil Chaudhary, citing security concerns, sent the players off the field.

The situation appeared to be getting out of control, and the possibility of the match being abandoned increased. However, the police and officials from the Odisha Cricket Association managed to pacify the crowd. Additional security was deployed, and the match resumed. South Africa achieved the target in 17.1 overs, losing 4 wickets, and won the series 2-0.

This incident shook the cricket world. Stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar demanded that the stadium be banned from hosting international matches for two years. Many former players termed it shameful. Although no formal ban was imposed, Barabati hosted its next international match two years later in 2017, a T20 between India and Sri Lanka. Subsequently, another match between India and South Africa was held here in 2022, which concluded without any controversy.