Anjum Chopra recalls how India lost their way to the stadium and nearly forfeited a World Cup match

Former India captain Anjum Chopra recalled the day when the India team almost forfeited a World Cup match. They lost their way coming to the stadium and reached after the scheduled time for toss.

The driver, who was driving the team bus, was not aware of the route to the stadium and they lost their way going to the stadium from the hotel.

Anjum Chopra recalled the events of that day while speaking to Gaurav Kapur on the YouTube show ’22 Yarns’.

India was scheduled to face Sri Lanka in the opening match of the 1997 World Cup at Feroz Shah Kotla. After starting from the hotel, they ended up traveling back and forth in the same area for more than half an hour.

“We were staying at the DLTA – Delhi Lawn Tennis Association. We got on the bus and left for the stadium [in the morning], and we knew the play won’t start on time because it was raining. After about 10-12 minutes – I was sitting at the back – someone from the front called for the Delhi residents. And when I got to the front, I was told that the driver doesn’t know the route to Feroz Shah Kotla!”

There were only two Delhi residents in the squad, one of whom was Anjum Chopra. But she knew the route to the stadium only from her place.

Thankfully, the captain and vice-captain reached in time: Anjum Chopra

With the team getting late, Anjum Chopra remembers the captain and vice-captain getting down midway and taking a taxi. But as it turned out, the taxi driver too was unaware about the route to the stadium.

The captain has to be at the ground in time even if it’s raining, failing which the authorities can award the match to the opposition.

“So apparently, the captain and the vice-captain got off halfway through and took a taxi. And as it turned out, even the taxi driver didn’t know the way to Feroz Shah Kotla. I don’t know how we managed to reach the stadium but when we did, my parents, who had come to watch the game even though it was raining, were standing outside with a big smile on their face.”

Luckily for India, the captain reached the venue in time, even though the rest of the team was late. It continued to rain and the match had to be abandoned in the end without a ball being bowled.