Play was halted twice during the second ODI between India and England at Barabati Stadium on Sunday due to technical issues with one of the floodlights. The interruptions occurred early in India’s innings, causing frustration among the players and some confusion among the crowd.

The first stoppage happened after the sixth over when one of the floodlight towers started flickering. While it seemed to stabilize momentarily, the issue resurfaced just as Shubman Gill prepared to face Saqib Mahmood in the seventh over. This time, the floodlight went out completely, leaving a section of the ground in partial darkness and forcing another unexpected delay.

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As the technical staff worked to resolve the issue, the crowd took matters into their own hands—fans across the stadium switched on their mobile phone flashlights, creating a stunning visual display. Though the gesture was more symbolic than practical, it added to the unique atmosphere inside the packed stadium.

The Cuttack stadium literally has their flood lights gone kaput in middle of an international Match and we are the richest cricket body in the world 🙌🏻

— vijay lalwani (@vijay_lalwani) February 9, 2025

How shameful … they can’t even keep the lights on in Cuttack … this is ridiculous ! India was going so well with Rohit finally finding some form and flow. A real pity for this mess up and everyone’s off the field now …I think someone should be held accountable . Will they be? pic.twitter.com/z26prRXmQH

— Rocky Singh 🇮🇳 (@RockyEatsX) February 9, 2025

As per the reports in ESPNcricinfo, according to one of their representation from Barabati Stadium, Rajan Raj, officials from the Odisha Cricket Association had tested the floodlights for five days leading up to the match, and no issues had been detected. However, during the game, the generator connected to the floodlights malfunctioned and had to be replaced.

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The delay disrupted India’s openers, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, just as they were settling into their rhythm. The two batters waited in the middle for a while before Rohit Sharma walked up to the umpires to discuss the situation. Meanwhile, in the dugout, Virat Kohli—fully padded up and ready to bat—was seen animatedly chatting with teammates, clearly energized by the occasion.

Despite the interruptions, the Indian players remained in good spirits, sharing light-hearted conversations while waiting for play to resume. Once the floodlight issue was resolved, the match continued under full illumination, much to the relief of both players and spectators.