IND vs SA: Cricket, in India, often feels like a festival—colorful, electric, and emotional. But occasionally, those emotions boil over in ways that disrupt the very spirit of the sport.
One of the most unforgettable examples is the 2015 India vs South Africa T20I at Barabati Stadium, where the match was infamously stopped because the crowd began hurling bottles onto the field.
Now, as India and South Africa gear up to return to the same venue for the opening T20I of a five-match series, memories of that turbulent night come flooding back. For many Indian fans, it remains one of the darkest evenings in the nation’s cricketing history.
A Night That Should Have Been Just About Cricket
The build-up to the 2015 match was already tense. India had lost the opening T20I in Dharamsala despite putting up a strong performance. Fans came to Cuttack expecting a comeback under MS Dhoni’s leadership.
Instead, they witnessed an extraordinary collapse.
India’s Batting Fell Apart
What began as a steady innings at 43/2 quickly turned into a nightmare. In just 60 deliveries, India went from:
43/2 to 92 all out
The middle order crumbled under sustained pressure from South Africa’s disciplined attack. The crowd, known for its passion, couldn’t hide its frustration—and soon, things would spiral out of control.
Crowd Anger Spills Over: The Bottle-Throwing Incident
As South Africa began their chase, the atmosphere inside Barabati Stadium grew increasingly restless. The visitors were comfortably placed at 64/3 after 11 overs when the first chaos erupted.
First Halt—19 Minutes
Bottles rained down from the stands, landing inside the inner circle. The umpires had no option but to stop play, and security forces rushed to calm the crowd.
The match resumed after 19 minutes, but the peace didn’t last long.
Second Halt—27 Minutes
Just two overs later, frustration boiled over again. More bottles were thrown. This time, the umpires decided the players needed to leave the ground altogether.
The stoppage lasted nearly half an hour, and for a moment, the match seemed doomed to be abandoned.
Finally, with police reinforcement and repeated warnings to spectators, play restarted. South Africa cruised to victory, sealing the series 2-0.
MS Dhoni’s Measured Reaction: “Not a Serious Threat”
Despite the tension, MS Dhoni maintained his trademark composure in the post-match press conference.
He downplayed the security concerns:
“From a safety perspective, I don’t think it was a very serious threat. A few people from the crowd managed to throw bottles inside the rope, so the umpires felt it was safer to take the players off for a while.”
Dhoni admitted the team’s poor performance contributed to the reaction:
“We didn’t play well. Sometimes you get reactions like this.”
His calmness, however, contrasted sharply with the backlash that followed.
Sunil Gavaskar’s Sharp Criticism: “Ban This Venue”
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar strongly condemned the behaviour of the spectators. He didn’t mince words:
“The policemen on the boundary were watching the match instead of monitoring the crowd.”
He went on to recommend strict consequences:
“Cuttack should not be given an international match for the next couple of years. As a deterrent, the BCCI must stop the subsidy to the Odisha Cricket Association.”
Though the ban was not enforced, Cuttack remained off India’s international schedule for nearly two years.
Cuttack’s Up-and-Down T20I History
Barabati Stadium—in terms of T20I cricket—has seen a rollercoaster ride:
2015: India vs South Africa
❌ Match disrupted
❌ Bottle-throwing incident
❌ Heavy defeat
2017: India vs Sri Lanka
✔ A smooth, incident-free match
✔ India won convincingly
✔ Stadium reputation repaired slightly
2022: India vs South Africa
❌ Another painful defeat
❌ Batting collapse repeated memories of 2015
2024: India vs England ODI
✔ India chased down 305
✔ Rohit Sharma smashed his 32nd ODI ton
✔ Venue regained confidence
Barabati Stadium has slowly rebuilt trust, but the scars of 2015 still linger.
Back to Barabati: Will the Crowd Behave This Time?
Ten years later, India and South Africa return to the same ground ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Expectations are high, emotions remain intense—and security arrangements are tighter than ever.
The big question is:
Will Cuttack’s passionate fans create a carnival-like atmosphere—or will the ghosts of 2015 return?
India will look to rewrite history. South Africa will aim to repeat it.
Either way, Barabati Stadium is set for another unforgettable night of cricket.
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