NEW DELHI: A man drove his car onto the pitch during an Indian championship cricket game Friday, forcing the interruption of the match after claiming he had lost his way.

Indian stars including Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma had to return to the pavilion after the car parked near the bowling strip during the game between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The driver said he got lost and strayed into the Air Force ground in New Delhi.

But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it would investigate what it considers a major threat to player safety.

"This is a breach of security measures," BCCI president CK Khanna was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.

"Imagine if the man had any sinister motive, then lives of international cricketers could have been in danger."

Indian media identified the driver as Girish Sharma, who claimed to have entered an open gate at the ground.

The driver, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, was reportedly first detained by the Air Force police and later handed over to Delhi officers for interrogation.

The match referee deemed the pitch "playable" after an examination and the four-day match will resume as scheduled on Saturday morning.