Former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri on Sunday questioned the decision to stage a laser show during the drinks break in the T20 World Cup Super Eights clash between India and the West Indies at the Eden Gardens.
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India were 53 for two in their chase of 196 when the powerplay ended and the scheduled timeout was taken. During the brief three-minute interval, the floodlights were dimmed and a laser display lit up the stadium, momentarily casting the ground into near darkness.
Commentating on the match, Gavaskar expressed concern over the impact such a sudden shift in lighting could have on players’ vision and rhythm.
“The laser show during those two-and-a-half to three minutes of the drinks break, it's not easy on the batters, or anyone for that matter,” he said. “Your eyes adjust to the lights, and then suddenly you have darkness around you before the bright lights come back on.”
He added that such entertainment might be suitable in franchise cricket but seemed misplaced in a global tournament.
“This is the World Cup. Do you really need this kind of spectacle in the middle of a drinks break? In the IPL, maybe during the league stage, it’s fine. Not in the knockouts — and certainly not here in a World Cup match.”
Shastri echoed Gavaskar’s reservations, highlighting the challenge for players to regain focus.
“From a player’s point of view, to switch back on after that is never easy. This is serious cricket,” he said.
