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NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Is It Too Hot To Play Cricket In India? Experts Say: "12 Per Cent Danger Of Heat Stroke"
Even before the experts from British Association for Sustainability in Sport (BASIS) came up with the report- Hit For Six, The Danger Zone, former Australian legend Shane Warne spoke about it. He said on the impact of Climate Change on Cricket. "I think we all have to admit now that climate change is a huge issue. Before I'd seen the report I hadn't really thought about how it would impact the game of cricket. I was really taken aback. I'm more than happy to put my hand up. I have got three children - 22, 20 and just about to turn 18 - it's a different world for them. People want to put their head in the sand, and say I'm not going to be around in 50 years. That's just wrong." A bunch of climate scientists and researchers, having analysed the IPL's 18th season or 2025 say that this year's matches were played under "Extreme Caution" or "Danger" on the Heat Index - a measure that combines air temperature and humidity to assess heat-related risk. More than 36% of 2025 IPL games took place under "Extreme Caution" conditions, where heat exhaustion becomes a serious threat, with a further 12% reaching a "Danger" classification where the risk of heatstroke becomes significant. Is it too hot to play cricket in India? What are experts saying? NDTV's @cheerica brings you this report — NDTV (@ndtv) July 22, 2025 The findings come from a report produced by the British Association for Sustainability in Sport (BASIS), Climate Central, Frontrunners and The Next Test. A total of 65 IPL matches were assessed for the study. Scientists are saying that they are witnessing a clear trend towards more frequent and more intense heat conditions for key cricketing nations. Players are now being asked to perform in environments that are not just uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous, with rising temperatures and humidity levels pushing human physiology towards its upper limits. This isn't just about performance - it's increasingly a question of player safety. The report charts a sharp rise in hazardous heat days at almost every major cricket stadium in India since 1970. In Mumbai, the number of these high-risk heat days has jumped by 125%, while Thiruvananthapuram recorded more than 100 hazardous heat days in 2024 alone. These are days when temperatures exceed safe limits for human health, dramatically increasing the risk of heat-related illness. And it is not just India, nations like Pakistan, Australia, and South Africa also seeing a significant surge in extreme heat days. Several elite sports like Wimbledon, the Club World Cup have also been impacted. When in comes to cricket, no major nation has been spared- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Caribbean and the UK are all facing a variety of climate extremes that are impacting the professional and grassroots game. Cricket stars and cricketers of all generations tell Hit for Six: the danger zone of the impacts to the game they love. Daren Ganga, former West Indies Captain (48 Tests) 'There is no doubt in my mind that today cricket faces its ultimate test. Forget concerns around different formats, TV deals or the battle for eyeballs in a multi-screen age. This challenge is an existential one and it comes in the form of a rapidly changing climate. I have played in blistering heat and vividly recall the nausea, the dizziness, the cramps that come with feelings of heatstroke. I have witnessed the disruption, despair and uncertainty sown by extreme and unpredictable weather. And things are only expected to deteriorate for the next generation of players, fans and clubs.' Ashton Turner, Australia (28 Tests), Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow Super Giants, "We can't separate cricket from the places we play in - under open skies, on natural turf, in conditions that are changing faster than ever. As players, we've seen firsthand how weather extremes are already impacting the game. It's time cricket wakes up to the reality of climate change - not just for the future of our sport, but for the communities and countries we represent. We can't afford to sit on the sidelines." 2025 is set to be in the top 3 warmest years on record, says the UN's WMO weather agency, a phenomenon that scientists say is overwhelmingly due to the burning of three fossil fuels: coal, gas and oil. The report takes into account the psychological and physiological responses from cricketers of all the major test playing nations. The report says," Cricket is a game that requires its players to have a wide range of physical and psychomotor skills, including concentration, hand-eye coordination, agility, fast decision making, fast reaction times, sprinting and endurance. These technical skills, cognitive and physiological capabilities, must be maintained at the highest of levels over the course of often long periods. Many of these functions are adversely affected by the heat and high body temperatures. The implications for cricket matches being played in very hot conditions are many and varied." This extreme heat threatens to affect the cricketers and fans. Perhaps time for policy makers to act on it.
Forbes
a day ago
- Climate
- Forbes
Cricket Has A Huge Climate Change Problem
Virat Kohli of India, one of cricket's biggest stars, suffered from heat exhaustion at the 2023 ICC ... More World Cup in India. Cricket is facing its ultimate challenge: climate change. The second most popular sport in the world (2.5 billion fans) is being played in dangerously hot and humid conditions that increasingly put its players and fans at risk. The new Hit for Six: The Danger Zone report, authored by non-profits Climate Central, FrontRunners, The British Association for Sustainability in Sport (BASIS), and The Next Test, analyzes the increase in extreme heat and humidity on the Indian subcontinent and in other cricket-loving regions like the United Kingdom, the West Indies, and Australia. According to Hit for Six, nearly 50% of the Indian Premier League's (IPL) 2025 matches were played in conditions of 'Extreme Caution' or 'Danger' on the Heat Index — a measure that combines air temperature and humidity to assess heat-related risk. The IPL is a global juggernaut, similar in scale and quality to the English Premier League and the NFL. It is a country-wide obsession that breeds fame and fortune for players and captures the hearts of fans worldwide with every match. Unfortunately, as heat, humidity, and air pollution continue to increase, it faces an uncertain future despite its vast economic resources. Reflecting on the challenge cricket faces, former West Indies Captain Daren Ganga says, 'This challenge is an existential one...I have seen the unbridled joy and enthusiasm that this game of ours brings to different generations and nations. It is a pleasure to behold and cherish, and it saddens me deeply to see it threatened by a worsening climate crisis.' Cricket in Extreme Heat The implications of 'Extreme Caution' and 'Danger' conditions are stark for cricket players and fans. According to the National Weather Service, 'Extreme Caution' is the classification for heat index temperatures between 90°F and 102°F (32 °C to 39.4 °C). The effects on the human body can range from cramps to heat stroke, and are exacerbated by prolonged exposure or physical activity. 'Danger' is denoted as a heat index temperature from 103F to 124F (39.4C to 51C). 12% of the IPL matches in 2025 were played in this temperature range, one that seems unbearable to sit in, let alone bat, bowl, and run in. England international Maia Bouchier has been subject to these temperatures, calling them 'incredibly hard to play in.' Bouchier says, 'We played in Dubai for the Twenty20 World Cup in October and after one game, where I had only really been batting for about 45 minutes to an hour, I couldn't breathe in the humidity and I had to sit down for 15 minutes after we had finished because I felt light headed and physically couldn't stay standing.' PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 12: Marnus Labuschagne of Australia feels the heat during day one of the ... More First Test match between Australia and New Zealand at Optus Stadium on December 12, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by) The conditions are not foreign to Ganga either. The Caribbean native says, 'I have played in blistering heat and vividly recall he nausea, the dizziness, the cramps that come with feelings of heatstroke.' As heat and humidity increase, player reaction times increase, concentration goes down and reflexes are impaired. Dehydration causes cramps, and overall performance deteriorates the longer the athlete is in the heat, exerting themselves. For a sport like cricket, which can last between three and eight hours depending on the format, heat can be deadly. India's Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, both of whom are elite athletes accustomed to the subcontinent's harsh heat index, suffered debilitating cramps during the ICC World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, with Gill forced to retire for several innings. The Data The Hit for Six researchers collected heat index temperatures from 1970 through 2025 from all of India's major cricket cities, and from other countries around the world. In that time, Mumbai has seen its high-risk heat days jump by 125%. Every major cricketing nation has seen a surge in extreme heat days as a direct cause of climate change. Thiruvananthapuram in India's southern Kerala region recorded more than 100 hazardous heat days in 2024 alone. According to the report, 'these are days when temperatures exceed safe limits for human health, dramatically increasing the risk of heat-related illness.' Dr. Kaitlyn Trudeau is the Senior Research Associate at Climate Central. Trudeau synthesized the temperature data for the report, but admits that temperatures in the study and their impacts could be even greater than reported. Speaking to me via video call, Trudeau said Heat Index is the easiest and most accessible climate-related figure to calculate in different parts of the world; however, it assumes the person is in the shade, and it underestimates the impact of heat on the body. Heat Index does not adequately account for latent heat, which is the moisture in the air that can lead to greater total heat accumulation. Nor does it factor in elements like wind and radiation. In cricket, players are in sunny areas for the duration of the game, often in padded gear, which adds extra heat as they bat, none of which is truly accounted for. Sri Lanka's players attend a practice session amid smoggy conditions on the eve of their 2023 ICC ... More Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match against Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on November 5, 2023. Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha admitted on November 5 his team has "no choice" but to play Sri Lanka in smog-choked New Delhi as their failed World Cup mission winds down. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images) Heat is also just the tip of the climate iceberg. The T20 World Cup hosted in the U.S. and the Caribbean last summer was disrupted by multiple times by increasingly unpredictable and devastating thunderstorms. The enduring image of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India is of Bangladesh players wearing masks as they trained in a smog-filled Delhi ahead of their World Cup match against Sri Lanka. If air pollution in India were to be reduced, heat and humidity could actually increase on the subcontinent, as currently the particulate matter is reflecting some of the sun's rays into space. What's even more concerning, according to Trudeau, is that the world is already reaching temperatures that were expected in 2050. Changes in climate, and especially its upper limits, are taking place faster than expected. As she says, 'It's hard to imagine we won't be seeing more of this unless we dramatically do something.' Recommendations for Cricket The most obvious recommendation the report makes, albeit one that is out of the cricket industry's hands, is to reduce carbon pollution by stopping the exploration, refining, and burning of fossil fuels. As Kristina Dahl, Climate Central's VP of Science, explains: 'Across India, climate change is increasing the number of days when extreme heat threatens the health of both cricket fans and cricket players. This trend toward more frequent, more extreme heat will continue as long as we keep burning fossil fuels, so preserving the future of cricket will require both cutting carbon pollution and considering ways to adapt cricket seasons to keep players and fans safe." If climate change is not arrested and temperatures continue to rise, governing bodies will need to consider playing games at cooler times of day or indoors to avoid potential heat exhaustion. In line with this, Hit for Six recommends that national federations follow the leadership of Cricket Australia and England and Wales Cricket Board and publish guidelines for playing in extreme heat, something Bouchier says she would welcome. The report also pushes for governing bodies to sign up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, review their heat policies annually, review their commercial sponsors, such as the International Cricket Council's partnership with Saudi oil major Aramco, and invest in eco-conscious infrastructure. In the words of Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action, 'If cricket is to survive and thrive, it needs to adapt. But, like any good team, it also needs major cricket powers to play their respective parts in tackling the root causes of the climate us harness the unifying power of cricket to drive meaningful change, ensuring that present and future generations can continue to enjoy the game under clear skies and on firm ground.'
ABC News
a day ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Cricket under threat as Hit for Six climate change report highlights risks of extreme weather events
Cricket is facing its "ultimate test," a new report has warned, as players at all levels of the game are being placed at increasing risk as a result of playing in extreme conditions across the globe. The Hit for Six: The Danger Zone report, commissioned by non-profit groups FrontRunners, The British Association for Sustainability in Sport, Climate Central and The Next Test, highlights the increased strain on players' bodies due to rising temperatures. "There is no doubt in my mind that today cricket faces its ultimate test," former West Indies captain Daren Ganga writes in the report's introduction. "Forget concerns around different formats, TV deals or the battle for eyeballs in a multi-screen age. "This challenge is an existential one and it comes in the form of a rapidly changing climate." A follow-up from the original Hit for Six report released in 2019, the new document illustrates how vulnerable cricket and its participants are to rising temperatures, particularly in the sport's most valuable league, the Indian Premier League (IPL). The report says India in 2024 recorded 52 days with temperatures at or above 37 degrees Celsius — the threshold beyond which outdoor activity becomes unsafe — an increase from the five-year average of 46 days. Australia has also registered an average of 46 days above that temperature, with Pakistan recording 83 days per year on average above that mark. Additionally, the number of hazardous heat days — days when the temperature is hotter than 90 per cent of those observed in a local area over the 1991-2020 period — has jumped significantly in multiple Indian cities. The effects of increased temperatures on people range from cramps through to nausea, fatigue and breathlessness, among other issues. Given cricket is normally played in the summer months, that has a direct impact on the game at every level, from international to local club cricket. During the 2025 IPL, over half of the 65 matches were played in either conditions classified as either Extreme Caution or Danger on the Heat Index — a measure that combines air temperature and humidity to assess heat-related risk. That means more than half of the games were played in conditions where players were likely to be affected by heat exhaustion. Only nine matches avoided triggering some form of heat warning. "We're witnessing a clear trend towards more frequent and more intense heat conditions for key cricketing nations," Dr Mike Tipton, Professor of Human & Applied Physiology at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth, told the report. "Players are now being asked to perform in environments that are not just uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous, with rising temperatures and humidity levels pushing human physiology toward its upper limits. "This isn't just about performance — it's increasingly a question of player safety." Veteran Indian bowler Ishant Sharma was one victim during last year's IPL. He was forced to leave the field with heat illness in Gujarat Titans match against Delhi Capitals. In the previous year, Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan was hospitalised with heat stroke after taking ill during the 2024 IPL Final in Ahmedabad. It's not just the temperature in India, but the worsening air pollution. Research conducted by The Next Test found that not a single one of 75 IPL matches in 2025 had air quality that was considered in the "good" range of the Air Quality Index. In fact, 47 per cent were considered "poor" and five matches were played in "unhealthy" conditions. Australian player Ashton Turner said the impacts reached right down from elite levels to grassroots. "I've seen the impact our changing climate can have on our game, from the debilitating air pollution in Delhi to the extreme temperatures we experience in our Australian summers," Turner said. "Without change, the next generations will be faced with insurmountable challenges. "Ever-increasing temperatures are putting the game at risk and it's affecting everyone from players to coaches to umpires to spectators and everyone in between. "We've seen elite athletes at the pinnacle of the sport be struck down from heat exhaustion, [so] how are the under-10's boys and girls meant to cope on hot days? "Cricket is a sport for all and we know the health and social benefits of playing team sports — we don't need any more excuses for our kids to be inside." The increased heat can be fatal, with Adelaide cricketer Junaid Zafar Khan collapsing and dying in March 2025 while batting for Old Concordians against Prince Alfred Old Collegians in 41.7 degrees Celsius heat. England international Maia Bouchier said conditions on the subcontinent were "incredibly hard to play in". "After one game, where I had only really been batting for about 45 minutes to an hour, I couldn't breathe in the humidity and I had to sit down for 15 minutes," she said. "I felt light-headed and physically couldn't stay standing." It's not just heat, either. Simon Katich said the change in rainfall patterns had a huge impact on junior cricket, with cancellations at lower age groups likely to have enormous financial implications in future years. "My son's junior cricket being cancelled at least four times in the most recent 2024/25 cricket season," he told the report. "It has an effect on the kids at this age as they are playing for the sheer love of the game and when it is constantly being cancelled, it affects their ability to keep improving their skills by not being able to play regularly. "I'm very concerned about the future of the game and younger generations being affected by extreme weather. "We had a recent experience in an Under-15 turf cricket grand final that was nearly cancelled due to the temperatures reaching 36 degrees Celsius. "Thankfully, the temperature didn't get [that high] that morning otherwise the six-month competition wouldn't have reached a fitting finale due to the weather and left 22 young boys very disappointed to not have experienced the joy of winning or playing in a grand final. "There is no doubt the extreme weather can impact cricket and affect finances and participation." The report has recommended that national federations join Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board in implementing new heat policy guidelines. It also called on the International Cricket Council to implement an Air Quality Index cut-off point and sign up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.
NDTV
02-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Should MS Dhoni Be Considered A Captain?" Ex-West Indies Star's Big Question For CSK
Former West Indies batter Daren Ganga has raised a big question on Chennai Super Kings' choice of continuing with MS Dhoni as captain. Notably, legendary skipper Dhoni led CSK to record-equalling five IPL titles. He stepped down from the role in the 2022 season and Ravindra Jadeja was handed over the regins. The team's poor performance under the new captain forced Jadeja to pass the baton back to Dhoni in between the season. Dhoni then went on to lead CSK in IPL 2023 before stepping down from the role once again the next season, handing over the duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad this time. As fate would have it, an elbow injury forced Gaikwad out mid-way during IPL 2025 and Dhoni was once again handed the CSK captainy. "Is that not a high risk for a team if you're planning for next season, you're pegging your hopes on a player who's not playing competitive cricket between IPL seasons. Isn't that putting yourself at a disadvantage based on that player's fitness and availability to play an entire season? You find yourself back at square one, where you will be searching for a captain, a man who is not part of the entire process of strategic planning and direction for a season. So I feel you're in that constant cycle of development and not progressing," Daren Ganga told during a discussion on ESPNcricinfo. When asked if Dhoni still deserves to keep his place as a player in the CSK team, Ganga's response was affirmative. However, he questioned the fact that the team continues to stick to him for captaincy. "Yes. I surely think with the big option of the fact that he's put himself forward and what we've seen from him as a wicketkeeper and a batter at the back end of innings, he can command himself on that team. But my biggest question is, should he be considered a captain in that squad when you 18 years from the start of him leading the side. We all agree theoretically that it's sport, it's cyclical, and leadership has a shelf life," the former West Indies batter said. "But I feel having a guy like Ruturaj Gaikwad and, in the past, Ravindra Jadeja in that sort of unsettling situation where it seems that MS still has ambitions of captaincy is not a good situation to be in. I've been in that situation before. It is very unsettling for you when you know that there's someone behind you who still has ambitions. But it is being shown as though he is not interested," he added. Listen to the latest songs, only on
