Desperate Mumbai players help in drying outfield at Railways ground

The second day of the Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Railways had the visiting team players, led by their skipper Suryakumar Yadav, doing the duty of groundsmen as the cricketers tried to clear the waterlogged areas of the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi.

With the Supersopper not working, it became an arduous job for the four groundsmen present at the venue, which has again brought the institutional ground under the scanner, to clear the waterlogged portions in the outfield.

Having already lost majority of first day's play (only 8.2 overs were bowled), Mumbai players desperate to get some play after their shock loss to Jammu and Kashmir, decided that they needed to pitch in.

Led by Suryakumar and senior-most player Abhishek Nayar, at least seven Mumbai players walked bare feet into the puddles with a sponge in one hand and a bucket in the other.

Without looking anywhere, the players started to use the sponge and soak the water.

Yadav, a Kolkata Knight Riders regular and India Under-23 captain, then got another innovative idea.

He got a knife and cut the big sponge into two as Aditya Tare and pacer Kshemal Waingankar also lend their helping hand in the part. Cutting multiple sponges meant more people could drain the water out of the ground.

The Mumbai worked for around 35 minutes before Railways curator Sanjeev Agarwal walked upto Mumbai coach Praveen Amre and requested that his players take no further part in this activity. He then arranged for additional ground staff to assist with removing water from the outfield.

"No one told us to work but everyone wants the game to start. My boys were only helping those groundsmen as they were less in number. Look the ground does not have slope so the drainage is not up to the mark. The supersopper was also not working as the motor that releases the soaked water is not working. I don't know when match will start. I am not blaming anyone but we just wanted to help," a worried Amre said.

Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) chief Rekha Yadav, said the ground was hosting a match after a long time and hence all equipments were not in proper condition.

"No one could factor the rain and also for the last two years the Supersopper was not required as there were no matches. We are trying our best and hopefully things will fall in place."

The groundsmen also got a tray of burning coal which helps to dry up the surface at grounds where they can't avail of helicopters.

Incidentally, Railways alongwith Services are two members that don't get Board of Control for Cricket in India's annual grants like the state associations since they are institutional units.

Railways gets Rs 1 lakh per match from BCCI to organise a first-class match.

Image: Mumbai captain Suryakumar Yadav helps the groundstaff in clearing water from the outfield at the Karnail Singh Stadium.

Photograph: PTI