Bhubaneswar: The Under-19 and Under-23 cricket teams of Odisha had to face the brunt of the ongoing protests in Assam. While the Under-19 team’s Ranji matches were cancelled, the Under-23 team managed to play their matches.
The U-19 team were stopped on a highway while going from Guwahati airport to Nagaon. The cricketers had to stay put in a hotel for two days.
Later, the army escorted the players to the airport from where they flew back to Bhubaneswar.
The next match, which is on December 17, will likely be shifted to Jharkhand. The Jharkhand team is still holed up in Agartala.
The Odisha U-23 team was lucky enough to play and win their match against Meghalaya by 325 runs in the Col CK Nayadu Trophy clash around 70 km from Guwahati. The local administration and police have helped escort the team back to the airport.
