Dharamshala: Even as Dharamsala gets ready to host the Indian Premier League matches on May 17 and 19 when Kings XI Punjab will take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils, respectively, it is excited for the India-England ODI in January 2013.
Dharamsala was approved of hosting ODI by the ICC recently and President of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium, Anurag Thakur said that this is the first ground in Himachal Pradesh, a hill station in India, approved for international matches.
"Our entire focus is now on India-England one-dayer to be staged here early next year," said Thakur.
He also said that it has hosted a number of IPL matches over the past couple of years, serving as the second home for the Kings XI Punjab franchise.
This is the third season of IPL and the city has got a facelift with roads being relaid and around 1500 police personnels deployed for the upcoming matches.
The tickets of the May 19 match is also all sold out.
The organisers claimed that the arrangements are all complete and the venue is all prepared to host Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister PK Dhumal, the guest of honour in these matches.
It was the IPL experience that convinced the association that they were capable of hosting international games.
Dharamsala earlier had hosted a tour opening game between the Indian Board President`s XI and Pakistan in 2005, and later a Match of visiting South Africa Team.
Since then the stadium has hosted 24 matches in the Ranji Trophy, apart from hosting two ODIs between India Under 19 vs Australia Under 19 on September 24 and 25, 2005.
With the expansion of the IPL in 2010, Dharamsala has the potential to become one of the most popular venues.
"The setting and outlook of this venue is outstanding, being located in the shadow of the Himalayan Mountains, making it one of the most unique in the cricketing world," ICC referee David Boon, who passed this stadium, said in a report.
The mountains add to the serenity of the venue. Another impressive feature is its openness and small-sized stands, which allow for winds to sweep across, giving fast bowlers assistance in the air.
The venue is the first in India to use winter rye grass scattered around the outfield, which prevents the grass from dying when temperatures fall below 10 degrees.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.