Nor'wester damages Eden press box ahead of IPL play-offs; GT flight delayed

KOLKATA: Rain and thunderstorm on Saturday evening caused some damage at Eden Gardens ahead of two IPL playoffs and also delayed the arrival of table-toppers Gujarat Titans here.

The Nor'wester, which is locally called Kalbaisakhi, lashed parts of the state including the metropolis, causing damage to the stadium which is slated to host back-to-back IPL matches on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The squall shattered the glass covers of the press box, while few hoardings and the cover were also blown away by the thunderstorm which was "accompanied by wind speed of 90 kmph" according to the Met department.

A CAB official said the "damages were minor" and will not affect their preparation for the matches.

"We still have two days in between. Everything will be ready and the press box glass will be fixed in time," said an official.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly also visited the venue after the thunderstorm to take stock of the situation.

Gujarat Titans flight delayed

The turbulent weather also disrupted air operations which were suspended for one and half hours, delaying many flights including that of Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans.

"Air operation was suspended for close to one and half hours during the squall and GT flight might have got delayed because of this," an ATC official told PTI.

The Gujarat Titans flight, which had a scheduled landing at 5pm, reportedly went over the Bangladesh air space and finally landed after a two-hour delay.

"The players were scared but everyone landed safely and checked into the team hotel," said an official.

The first Qualifier between the top two teams will be played on Tuesday, while the Eliminator, between the third and fourth placed teams, will be on the next day.

As per report, at least two persons were killed in West Bengal because of the Nor'wester on Saturday evening.

According to the Met department, more rains are forecast in the coming days.