Rain washes out first India-South Africa T20

DHARAMSALA, India: Rain and a damp outfield forced the abandonment of the first Twenty20 International between India and South Africa without a ball being bowled here on Sunday.

The pitch and the square at the start of the three-match series remained covered throughout, with rain lashing the sleepy hill station in the Himalayan foothills. Officials called off the match nearly 50 minutes after the official start time of 07:00 pm (1330 GMT).

“The rains continue and the match has officially been called off. See you in Chandigarh for the 2nd T20I,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on its official Twitter handle.

The second match is scheduled for Wednesday. South Africa, captained by wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, are ranked third in T20s, one rung ahead of the Virat Kohli-led India.