New Delhi:
The Citizenship Amendment Bill protests have affected cricket as well, with the Ranji Trophy clashes between Assam and Services in Guwahati as well as the Tripura vs Jharkhand clash in Agartala suspended due to the ongoing protests. BCCI General Manager for Cricket Operations Saba Karim told PTI that a decision to replay the game or share points will be taken later. "We have been advised by the state association not to go ahead with the game. Players have been asked to remain in the hotel. The players' safety is paramount. Whether the game will be replayed or the points will be shared. We will take a call on that later," Karim said.
The Assam vs Services game at the Barsapara International Stadium in Guwahati was evenly poised with Services slightly in front heading into the final day. Services were bowled for 124 in the first innings and despite Riyan Parag's 66, Assam managed a lead of just 38 runs with Diwesh Pathaniya taking five wickets and Shadab Nazar taking four wickets. Rajat Paliwal led from the front with a gritty 89 as Services reached 279. Chasing 242 for a win, Assam were reduced to 74/5 heading into the final day.
The match at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium,Agartala has seen Jharkhand escape after a spirited performance by Tripura. Milind Kumar and Harmeet Singh slammed fifties and helped Tripura reach 289 all out. In response, Jharkhand were dismissed for 136 with Rana Dutta taking 4/42 and Abhijit Sarkar taking 3/43. Following on, Saurabh Tiwary and Ishank Jaggi slammed centuries and shared a 220-run stand to help Jharkhand reach 358/5 heading into the final day. However, the BCCI corrected the statement around noon by saying that the Tripura vs Jharkhand game had resumed.
Not just cricket, even football was affected. The Indian Super League (ISL) football match between NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC, scheduled to be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Guwahati for tonight has been postponed. "The match is unlikely to take place. We are waiting for an official word from the league officials," a source told PTI.
Following the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, curfew was imposed in Dibrugarh for an indefinite period as protesters targeted the houses of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union minister Rameswar Teli in the district.
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As tens of thousands of anti-CAB protesters descended on the streets of Assam, clashing with police and plunging the state into chaos of a magnitude unseen since the violent six-year movement by students that ended with the signing of the Assam accord, Guwahati was placed under curfew. Assam has been on the boil ever since the CAB was tabled in the Lok Sabha. The contentious Bill which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Lok Sabha cleared the Bill on Monday.
