On January 5, 2020, the Sri Lankan T20I tour opened at Baraspara stadium. After the coin toss, which involved the captains, sponsors, and Murali Karthik, India came out on top and elected to bowl.
Sri Lanka T20I tour series began on 5th January 2020 at Baraspara stadium. Murali Karthik, sponsors and the captains of the respecting teams were gathered for the coin toss, the Indians won and they decided to bowl.
India opted for a few last-minute changes to their roster, bringing in Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar to replace Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja, as the captain looked to turn the tide of their T20I history. On the opposing side, Bhanuka Rajapaksa earned his first international cap, stepping in for Angelo Mathews.
However, heavy rains in Assam drenched the venue, leading to concerns that the stadium's organization was inadequate for handling such emergencies during an international fixture. The crowd's excitement stayed high as they cheered for Kohli, Dhawan, and Pant, who were seen scouting the pitch in hopes that play could resume.
Kohli continued to evaluate the pitch to see how the bowlers would fare, noting that previous reports suggested the surface would be quite friendly for the bowling attack. Ultimately, the efforts to dry the ground failed, and the match was abandoned, with the series shifting its focus to the second T20I in Indore.
The fans left the stadium in disappointment, and there are now whispers that Baraspara stadium might be penalized or overlooked for future high-profile matches.