Reports: Public Banned From India's BGT 2024-25 Net Sessions

The squad has made the decision to limit public access to their training sessions ahead of the India Pink Ball Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, so ending the brief open practice experiment that attracted thousands of fans in Adelaide. To watch the Indian players train, a huge gathering of about 5,000 people flocked to the Adelaide training facility. What started out as Cricket Australia's attempt to engage with fans swiftly devolved into an increasingly awkward situation for the visitors.

The crowd cheered the Indian cricket players on, but they were also constantly asked to take photos while they were practising in the nets, and some of them were made fun of for missing the ball or leaving the field. For the unversed, before a Test match, most Australian grounds allow fans to view the nets. It was discovered that before Team India consented to an open session in Adelaide, the hosts and the BCCI engaged in negotiation talks.

BGT 2024-25 India nets closed for spectators:

Players endured a demanding and intrusive fan experience during the open training session. Players preparing for the important pink-ball Test match faced a challenging atmosphere as supporters were placed adjacent to the nets. Chants like "chauka maar" (hit a four) and "chakkah maar" (hit a six) were demanded by the supporters. During net sessions, some players even voiced their displeasure about the disparaging comments made regarding their performances.

The Age quoted a spokesperson saying, "India has expressed a preference for their remaining training sessions not to be open to the public to minimise potential noise or distractions." On international tours, Indian players prefer anonymity and have far more freedom to explore their surroundings than they do at home. But everywhere, the situation appears to be shifting. In actuality, CA has been working to attract more South Asian cricket enthusiasts to Australia.

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