Cricket World Cup Proceeds Amidst New Delhi's Hazardous Air Quality; Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Make Team Changes

Air quality levels in New Delhi register near 400, markedly above safe levels, as Cricket World Cup proceeds and other teams including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh make pivotal team changes after a series of disappointing performances.

New Delhi's air quality index hovered near 400, prompting concerns for the health and safety of athletes in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. The level of pollution is considered hazardous, potentially affecting even healthy individuals and posing a higher risk for those with existing health conditions.
The poor air quality led to the cancellation of training sessions and prompted precautionary measures such as the installation of air purifiers in players' dressing rooms and the use of water sprinklers to reduce air pollutants.
The Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi cricket teams were forced to adapt their preparations, with asthmatic players from Bangladesh remaining indoors and members of the Sri Lankan team wearing masks ahead of their World Cup match.
Amidst this environmental crisis, both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh made several changes to their teams. Sri Lanka brought in Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Perera, replacing Dimuth Karunaratne and Dushan Hemantha, whereas Bangladesh substituted an unfit Mustafizur Rahman with Tanzim Hasan.
The changes came in the wake of poor performances; notably, Sri Lanka was seventh in the points table with slim chances of making the final four, and Bangladesh had already been eliminated from the competition. The Sri Lankan cricket board was even sacked and replaced with an interim committee after the team's historically bad performance in India.