The ICC World Cup 2023 is just around the corner and a new wave of excitement has gripped the cricket fans here in India. This year the World Cup matches will be played in India across various states and cities, right from Dharamsala to Bengaluru.
Fields getting upgrades
The match venues in India are getting decked up for the 46-day tournament. Every stadium has been given a grant of Rs 50 crore to upgrade its infrastructure from the BCCI. The board has budgeted for over Rs 500 crore to be distributed among the venues.
The Indian Express looked at what some of the fields are undergoing as they prepare to host the 10 teams at the World Cup.
Mumbai
Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will be hosting four league games and a semi-final. It will have its outfield relaid and the stadium will upgrade to new LED lighting. The corporate boxes and toilets will also be renovated before the tournament commences.
Mumbai Cricket Association President Amol Kale said that the stadium will be providing world-class infrastructure and best hospitality service. The Wankhede Stadium hosted the 2011 World Cup final.
Chennai
Chennai’s famous MA Chidambaram Stadium is seeing the installation of new LED lights and the square being dug up to implant two red soil pitches.
Lucknow
Set to witness India going against England, Lucknow’s pitches will be relaid.
Delhi
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi is refurbishing its seating and toilets and it is also getting a new ticketing software. “The floodlights at the stadium are of good quality, so we don’t have to change them,” Delhi and District Cricket Association joint secretary Rajan Manchanda said. He also confirmed that the grass at the ground was recarpeted during the off-season.
Dharamsala
Ready to host five matches of the tournament, the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala saw the installation of a new drainage system that has a capacity of 6,000 metres of specialty pipes. An air-evacuation that can get rid of excess rainwater in quick time and ryegrass have also been installed. River sand and gravel tested in Scotland has also been used on the outfield.