Karnail Singh Stadium pitch still under spotlight after Railways reduced to 59-5; call to be taken after match referee's assessment - Reports 

Karnail Singh Stadium, which saw the Ranji Trophy clash between Railways and Punjab being restarted, could face action from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) once again after the new pitch saw an unsatisfactory update from the previous one.

The contest was reduced to a two-day affair after the match officials decided to suspend the initial match. The pitch was deemed unfair and dangerous, forcing the local curator to prepare a fresh surface.

However, the new surface proved to be a bowlers' haven once again after the Railways were reduced to 52-5 after 32 overs were played on Thursday, December 22. The match started at 2 PM as the curators were still working on the pitch during the morning and the day's play was called early due to poor light.

The BCCI can take action against the controversial venue after the match referee produces the report for the match.

Erratic bounce was on offer from the pitch, with opening batter Rahul Rawat being hit on the helmet by Siddarth Kaul. The right-arm pacer was the pick of the bowlers after finishing the day with figures of 3-19 off his 12 overs. A Railways team official told The Indian Express:

“It was a damp wicket. We approached the match referee after Rahul Rawat was hit in the helmet, but he didn’t act."

A Punjab batter, who was hit on the helmet on Day 2 played on the initial surface, commented on the new pitch:

“It was a better surface. It is not life-threatening. We will try to wrap up the innings quickly tomorrow and try to gain a first-innings lead.”

In stark contrast, a few balls were kept low as well while others strayed wide, leading to the umpires converging for a discussion as early as the fourth over of the innings. However, the play continued despite the bleak early signs.

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Karnail Singh Stadium likely to face another ban after producing poor pitch once again

It is not the first time that the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi has come under the scanner.

The venue faced a ban after curators' involvement in deliberately producing undercooked pitches to aid Railways' qualification chances came to light.

During the ban, the Railways had to play their home matches in Bhubaneshwar. The team will have to find a venue to play the remainder of their next three Ranji Trophy group matches against Madhya Pradesh (December 27-30), Jammu and Kashmir (January 3-6), and Tripura (January 10-13), should the Karnail Singh Stadium pitch continue to behave in a similar fashion.

The record shall so reflect in the match referee's report, leading to the BCCI taking strict action.

Should the Karnail Singh Stadium face a strict ban for producing poor-quality pitches? Let us know what you think.

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