India-New Zealand first T20 at Visakhapatnam abandoned due to rain

The first Twenty20 clash between India and New Zealand at Dr YSR Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium was on Saturday abandoned due to heavy rains in the coastal town of Visakhapatnam.


"The first T20 between India and New Zealand in Vizag has been called off due to rain," The BCCI informed on Twitter.

The match that has gained marquee status because of Yuvraj Singh's much hyped comeback into international cricket got disrupted after heavens opened up around 6 pm. A sharp thundershowers for around 30 minutes forced the groundsmen to put on covers.

The scheduled cut-off time is 10.15 pm wherein a five-overs-a-side match can be squeezed in. Each innings will be of 20-minute duration with a 10-minute break in-between.

According to ACA director of cricket operations M S K Prasad the groundsmen would need at least an hour to mop up the field and make it ready for a possible match in case the rain stops.

Crowd thronged in large numbers and filled up the stands of the 27,000-capacity stadium since afternoon with big hoardings of 'Yuvi is Back'.