T20 World Cup: Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri Slam Laser Show During India-West Indies Match In Kolkata

ICC T20 World Cup: The legendary Indian captains Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri criticised the laser show during the India-West Indies T20 World Cup Super Eight match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, mentioning concerns over its impact on players' concentration and eyesight.

In the pursuit of 196, India were 53 for two when the powerplay ended, and the scheduled break was taken. And notably, the hosts were in a challenging position as they lost Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan without any significant contribution.

For the three-minute drinks break, the lights dimmed, and a laser show took centre stage, enveloping the Eden Gardens in a dark, dazzling spectacle. However, this momentary transformation also draws strong criticism from cricket pundits.

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Gavaskar questioned the necessity of such entertainment in a global tournament.

"The laser show during the two-and-a-half or three minutes of the drinks break is not easy on the batters, or anybody for that matter. To get your eyes used to the light, to get the bright lights again, you have darkness around you,” Gavaskar said on commentary.

"You have a laser thing going on. This is the World Cup. And for two and a half minutes, do you need this kind of entertainment? In the IPL, it's fine in the middle of the IPL. Not in the knockouts, but in the middle of the IPL, that is fine. But at the moment here, in the World Cup, do we need these laser shows in the middle of the drinks break, at the drinks interval?" the legendary cricketer added.

Shastri echoed these views, highlighting the difficulty players face in adjusting to sudden lighting changes.

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"And from the players' point of view, to switch back on is never easy. It's serious stuff,” Shastri said.

Eventually, India passed the West Indies challenge with flying colours by five wickets in their Super Eights, sealing a place in the semifinals against England, which will take place on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.