The Odisha government has issued a show-cause notice to the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) following a floodlight malfunction at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium during the second One-Day International (ODI) between India and England on February 9, 2025. The incident caused a 30-minute suspension of play, inconveniencing players and spectators.
In a letter from the state’s sports and youth services department, the OCA has been directed to provide a detailed explanation within 10 days, identifying the cause of the disruption, the responsible parties or agencies, and the measures taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj expressed disappointment over the incident, emphasizing that while technical issues can occur, the extended delay during an international match was concerning and could have been managed more efficiently.
The floodlight failure occurred during India’s chase of a 305-run target, with play halted at 48 without loss after 6.1 overs when one of the six floodlight towers near the long-on boundary began flickering before failing completely. Both teams waited in the stands for approximately 30 minutes until the issue was resolved, allowing the match to resume without any reduction in overs.
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The OCA has attributed the malfunction to a generator failure and a blocked access path, and has committed to submitting a detailed report within the stipulated 10-day period.
This incident has raised concerns about the stadium’s infrastructure and the OCA’s preparedness to host international matches, especially as this was the first such event at Barabati Stadium in six years.
