Indian Premier League (IPL) fever is set to grip Maharashtra with BCCI announcing that 70 league matches will be held in Mumbai and Pune, starting March 26.
Maharashtra’s tourism and environment minister, Aditya Thackeray visited the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday to check out the facilities and had a two-hour discussion with BCCI’s interim chief executive Hemang Amin and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials.
It is learnt that Thackeray promised all support to ensure a safe and smooth IPL in the state. “There was a lot of importance put on the time factor. To avoid traffic delays, it was decided to have a green channel [traffic clearance system] for team buses as soon as they leave the hotel either for practice or matches. There is usually heavy congestion at toll booths, so this green channel will ensure minimal delays especially when teams travel between Mumbai and Pune,” an MCA official told Sunday mid-day.
MI skipper Rohit Sharma at Wankhede
“The honorable minister also promised full support from the municipal corporation, traffic and police departments. There will be no delays whatsoever. A special meeting of all departments and concerned officials is called on March 1 to ensure all are on the same page,” the official added.
Thackeray impressed
Thackeray, who played the inter-school Harris and Giles Shield tournaments on Mumbai’s maidans, was impressed with the renovation and maintenance work underway at the Wankhede Stadium. He also spent some time with the groundsmen. He suggested decorating areas near the IPL-hosting grounds with IPL team flags to create fanfare.
Wankhede and DY Patil Stadium in Nerul will host 20 matches each, while the Brabourne Stadium and Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium will conduct 15 matches each.
Five of Mumbai’s five-star hotels in the central and southern parts of the city have already been booked by IPL teams. However, unlike in the UAE, where teams booked the entire hotel for the 2020 and 2021 IPL events, this time, each hotel will accommodate two teams. The hotel will also remain open to other guests, but the premises where the teams are booked will be completely sealed to ensure a bio-secure bubble is maintained at all times. “Swimming pools, gymnasiums and some restaurants will be reserved only for teams,” said an insider, aware of the arrangements.
25 per cent crowd
Meanwhile, the MCA official said that 25 per cent crowd will be permitted as per the government’s direction.
Brabourne gets new lighting
The Brabourne Stadium is also getting decked up for IPL action. The Cricket Club of India (CCI) have refurbished their lighting facility at Brabourne with lights imported from USA. They have also upgraded their generator system. Maintenance work is also being undertaken in the stands. CCI last hosted an international match in 2018, an India v West Indies ODI clash.
