Captain Rohit Sharma reaches Dharamsala on helicopter for final Test

Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

In a surprising move, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who had attended Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding bash in Jamnagar, Gujarat, reunited with the Indian huddle on Tuesday, March 05. What caught everyone’s attention is that the captain took a chopper ride to reach Dharamsala, which also happens to be the host city for the fifth and final Test for the ongoing series against England.

The urge to arrive in a helicopter must have been due to unavailability of flights and extreme weather conditions in the region. Recent weather forecasts have suggested that the contest, which scheduled to begin from March 07 may see temperatures ranging lower than 10 degrees and may fall to a degree as well, suggesting extremely cold conditions at the venue, wherein snowfall is also speculated.

This is not the first time a cricketer has taken a chopper ride to reach the field. Recently, Australia’s David Warner also took a helicopter ride to reach the ground for featuring a game in the Big Bash League 2023-24. Warner’s chopper landed moments before the scheduled time of the game, right at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

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Poor visibility caused abandoned Ranji fixtures

It is noteworthy to mention that the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024 experienced extreme lower visibility at the venues, especially in northern part of the country. Games at venues like Jammu, Chandigarh, and Rohtak apart from Dharamsala had many fixtures abandoned due to poor lights. Some games saw less than 100 overs being bowled across the four-day games, eventually enforcing the contests to end in a draw.

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And hence, it remains a concern if lights and visibility will play a part in hosting the Dharamsala Test against the Three Lions. Experts have also opined that the conditions are going to assist swing more than spin, and hence, there may be major revamp in playing combinations for both the teams in the summit clash of the series.