Mullanpur, March 22 (IANS): With Rishabh Pant’s return to competitive cricket being in the foreground of the build-up in the Delhi Capitals' clash with Punjab Kings on Saturday afternoon, a significant development in the background is the inclusion of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium as the 36th venue of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The stadium, which comes under the ambit of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), is named after Yadavindra Singh, the ninth and last ruling Maharaja of Patiala who played just one Test match for India in 1934 and went on to be India’s ambassador to Italy and the Netherlands.
The 33,000-seater stadium, comprising all the modern facilities and top-class infrastructure, is a 30-minute drive from the Chandigarh bus stand in Sector 17. Work on it began in 2017 and it has hosted domestic matches since 2021.
So far, it has hosted 23 matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and five games of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 season) and played hosts to a Ranji Trophy match for Punjab in January this year, the same month when India played Afghanistan at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali.
The Mullanpur stadium also has a well-equipped herringbone drainage system, which helps in the removal of water within 25-30 minutes after the stoppage of rain. Instead of using traditional soil, the ground is made of sand, which is difficult to maintain but provides good stability.
It is equipped with two international-standard dressing rooms having facilities for steam, sauna, and ice bath, as well as a world-class gym, with the Punjab Kings hosting its pre-season camp from February 21 to 28.
“Everywhere you play, it’s really exciting. I am seeing this new stadium for the first time and it’s a very new environment. It looks very good from the outside and the vibe from inside is really good. But I think, as professionals and cricketers going into new ground, we don’t have to overthink about it because these things keep on happening,” said Pant, the Delhi Capitals skipper, in his pre-match press conference.
While the Mohali ground is built on 14 acres, the Mullanpur stadium, which is open-air in nature, is spread across 40 acres, which was originally farmland. The surrounding areas are under-developed, with an adjacent one-lane flyover under construction, and car parking outside the stadium area being temporary.
With Saturday’s game being played under bright sunshine and no roofs at the top to provide protection, one wonders what happens to the fans coming in huge numbers to watch the match.
For PBKS, it is a matter of changing fortunes through a switch of their home venue in Punjab, after managing just one win from their home games in Mohali during IPL 2023.
“It's a new stadium. We're the lucky ones who have five or six training sessions to get used to the conditions. Things are gonna be a little bit different to what they were at Mohali.”
“There are not too many different faces. I think that's a good thing that we did last year. I thought we did a lot of good things last year and we kept a lot of people the same. So, I guess everybody's just really excited and looking forward to the challenges ahead,” said explosive batter Liam Livingstone in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
On Wednesday, in the run-up to the stadium hosting practice session, a pooja was organised for everything related to Saturday’s game and the aftermath happening smoothly. March 23, 2024, is indeed a huge day, as it not only marks Pant’s return to competitive cricket but also for the PCA and cricket fans in the Chandigarh tri-city region to embrace having another major cricket stadium.