Delhi belly strikes

One of the lesser known attractions of the IPL for international cricketers is the chance to experience the tastes of India. Curry has become an almost universal dish but eating in the country that perfected it is still unrivalled and there are often updates from newly returned travelers about the quality of the food they have sampled in India.

Unfortunately for three players, they’ve been made to see that lunch twice, the second time in a not-so-pleasant fashion. Chris Gayle was padded up and ready to open the batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Rajasthan Royals when he suffered a violent bout of vomiting and could not make it out to the crease in time. Virat Kohli had to be sent in as a makeshift opener and Gayle went in at No.4. He only managed four runs and could not field.

Australian spinner Steve Smith may have been bitten by the same bug. It turned out to be a stroke of good fortune that Smith did not have to bat for Pune Warriors against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday because he was clearly ill. When it was time to field, he walked to his position and spilled his guts on the boundary rope, only to be taken off the ground by the team’s medical staff, where he was shown struggling to even hold down water. Smith returned for two overs but had to leave again after being judged too ill to continue and Callum Ferguson fielded in his place for the rest of the match. His team-mate Luke Wright was a also victim, tweeting about his night-long agony.

Some of the television commentators attributed the illness to the blazing heat in India, but others suggested it may just have been a case of choosing the wrong food.