Kolkata, March 2, 2026: Former Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri have strongly criticised the decision to stage a laser show during India’s innings in a high-stakes ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash against the West Indies cricket team at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
India were chasing a challenging target of 196 when, at the end of the powerplay with the score at 53 for two, the stadium lights were switched off for a laser display aimed at entertaining the crowd. The interruption came after early dismissals of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, at a crucial stage of the innings.
The display reportedly lasted close to three minutes, plunging the ground into darkness. When play resumed and the floodlights were restored, batters Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav were forced to quickly readjust their vision and concentration amid an intense contest.
“The laser show during the two-and-a-half or three minutes of the drinks break… it’s tough on the batters, or really anyone,” Gavaskar said during commentary. “Adjusting to the bright lights after being surrounded by darkness is no easy task.”
Questioning the necessity of such entertainment during a global tournament, he added: “This is the World Cup. For two and a half minutes, is this really necessary? In the Indian Premier League, it’s okay during the middle of the season. Not in the knockouts, but during regular IPL matches, it’s fine. But here, at the World Cup, do we really need laser shows during the drinks break?”
Shastri echoed Gavaskar’s concerns, emphasising the players’ perspective. “From the players’ point of view, it’s never easy to refocus,” he said. “This is serious business.”
The incident has sparked debate over balancing fan entertainment with maintaining competitive integrity in high-pressure international matches.
