Kochi could soon have its very own cricket stadium following Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah’s visit to the prospective allotted land for the venue, during his tour of the city for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auctions.
Cricket matches in Kochi to date were being contested at the multi-purpose Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which is also home to the Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Since 1998, a total of 10 ODIs have been played in Kochi, with the most recent one being in 2014. In recent times, cricket matches in Kerala have been held at the new Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
According to a report by the Times of India, Jay Shah visited the prospective 30-acre site, which is located along the highway only a few kilometers from the Kochi International airport. Initial signs indicate that the secretary was pleased with the land, which was identified and processed by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GDCA) through its land pooling scheme.
The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) will handle the construction of the stadium and will approach the government for further orders. KCA president Jayesh George told TOI:
He continued:
Jay Shah reportedly visited the site with the KCA president on his way to the hotel ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auctions.
An international stadium meeting modern standards has been on the agenda of the KCA for quite a while now. The management is, however, yet to finalize the land, and is looking at more potential options.
From Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic five-wicket haul against Australia to Zimbabwe’s upset over India in 2002, Kochi has presented some memories to hold onto over the years.
The construction of an international stadium will see cricket return to the city after a long interval. KCA President Jayesh George said:
The city is set to play host to the IPL mini-auction on Friday, December 23. The event is slated to begin at 2:30 PM IST with all ten franchises aiming to bolster their squad.
Also Read: “Cross your fingers; it’s a little bit like that” – Stephen Fleming on CSK’s plans for IPL 2023 mini-auction
Get IPL 2023 Auction Live Updates on Sportskeeda. Follow us for all the latest IPL Updates & News
Poll :
0 votes
Quick Links
Be the first one to comment on this story