What is Air Quality Index? Will AQI levels in Delhi halt Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Cricket World Cup game?

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will collide in the 38th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Monday, November 6 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.

While Bangladesh are already out of the contention for the semi-finals, Sri Lanka too could soon experience a similar fate as their chances of proceeding to the next stage are almost nil.

However, the two teams still would want to gather a win as the Champions Trophy 2025 qualification is on the line.

While the match holds major importance not in the context of the 2023 World Cup but the Champions Trophy 2025, we still do not know if it will even take place or not.

Why are we saying this? Delhi is suffering from poor AQI levels and this has casted doubts on the happening of the game. We will take you through the whole story in this detailed piece.

What is Air Quality Index?

Air Quality Index or AQI is an indicator of the state of the air. It is a yardstick that measures the quality of air by assigning it numbers from 1 to 500. Air quality is assessed by these numbers only.

Will Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka match in Delhi get abandoned due to poor AQI?

In Delhi, the AQI has been moved past the 400-mark in the last four days, putting it in the hazardous category. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI on Sunday morning was 457.

This has put the match under the threat of abandonment. However, no official decision has been taken yet and the match is scheduled to happen as planned.

Notably, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also had to cancel their practice sessions.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had considered shifting the fixture to Lucknow, as per reports. But logistics issues did not allow them enough time to plan this.

Moreover, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) informed that the AQI level inside the stadium is in the accepted range.

"It was around 120. This is something beyond the organisers but we did approach the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to help us. The MCD responded swiftly and took some steps, like spraying water in areas around the stadium. We hope the situation would improve on the day of the match," said an official as quoted by the Sportstar.

The BCCI also sought the guidance of famous pulmonologist Dr. Randeep Guleria for this.

"Under Dr. Guleria’s guidance, the venue team has been taking mitigating actions throughout the day including the implementation of water sprinklers around the premises and the installation of air purifiers in the dressing rooms and match officials’ areas," an ICC spokesperson shared.

"The AQI within the stadium was monitored throughout the day and has been reduced to levels considered acceptable by Dr. Guleria. Bangladesh conducted a training session at the stadium earlier this evening without incident," he added.

Who will win Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh World Cup match?

As per the Dafabet odds, Sri Lanka start as favourites.

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