Advertisement

IPL 6: RCA starts work on Sawai Man Singh Stadium

With the decks cleared for hosting of IPL 6 matches at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here, the state cricket body has started preparing the ground for the home matches of Rajasthan Royals.

Jaipur: With the decks cleared for hosting of IPL 6 matches at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here, the state cricket body has started preparing the ground for the home matches of Rajasthan Royals.
The Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) recently signed an MOU with the state government regarding the use of Sawai Man Singh Stadium for the cash-rich event. A deadlock between the RCA and Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) had earlier threatened to shift all the home matches of Royals to Ahmedabad and Rajkot in Gujarat. The RCA got the possession of the ground today and has started work to bring it back into shape for the event. "The ground was not in use for almost seven months. The RSSC had taken the possession of the ground and they did not have the expertise to maintain it for the top class cricket," curator Taposh Chatterjee said. "The ground needs a lot of work but I am sure we will bring it back to shape with the help of sophisticated equipment available with RCA. At present it is in pretty bad shape. Whole of the outfield needs scarification and the wicket is wet. Today, we have concentrated on the outfield. "As far as the pitch is concerned we will have a look at it and then decide if we need to do the top dressing. It would make it a bit slow but if the top layer is eroded we will have to go for it. But let it dry first and then we would decide." Chatterjee, however, is hopeful that the ground would be ready for the event starting Arpil 3. "I am sure that by mid-March we will bring back the ground and the wicket in top condition." Meanwhile, top officials of the RCA also inspected the ground and the pavilion. "We have signed five MOUs with the government for the first time. Earlier the RSSC used to make things complicated but now it has no role to play and would be confined to west pavilion where it runs its office. The MOU has also authorised the RCA to use the North Gate of the SMS stadium," said an official. PTI