Dharamsala. (Photo Source: BCCI)
All the venues for the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will get an upgrade ahead of the competition which is scheduled to be held in India in October-November, later this year. The World Cup matches will be played in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Dharamsala, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kolkata, respectively. Meanwhile, stadiums in Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram will host the warm-up games.
Notably, each stadium would receive INR 50 crore to refurbish its infrastructure in advance of the showpiece event. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has allocated more than INR 500 crore to the ten World Cup venues. The iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host four league stage matches and a semi-final game. The stadium will get upgrade work, with new LED lighting and refurbished corporate boxes and toilets.
Besides, the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, in Lucknow, which will host India’s game against England, will have its outfield relaid, while the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata will get upgraded dressing rooms as reported by The Indian Express.
An outfield with imported grass will be established at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, in Dharamsala, while a new makeshift roof will be installed at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Meanwhile, an upgraded ticketing system and improved toilets will be developed at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Furthermore, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will have new LED lights installed and will accommodate two red soil pitches.
HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala undergoes a major renovation
According to a Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association release, the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala has already undergone major renovations. The stadium is likely to host five World Cup matches, including India’s match against New Zealand.
A new drainage system with 6,000 metres of speciality pipes was constructed at the HPCA Stadium, as well as an air-evacuation system that can quickly remove excess rainwater. Ryegrass, which is best suited for cold weather, and river sand and gravel assessed at a lab in Scotland, were used on the outfield of the stadium. Ryegrass was first seeded in winter at temperatures ranging from 3 to 15 degrees Celsius, and it was blended with shade-tolerant Paspalum grass.