2023 ODI World Cup venues: Eden Gardens — capability, ticket gross sales, pitch information and all you want to know

These days, Eden Gardens reeks of paint-thinners, moist cement, and sawdust. The iconic cricketing vacation spot in Kolkata is present process a large revamp forward of the ODI World Cup. Amid the fixed hammering and screeching of the drills as repairs are being taken up on a conflict footing, Sportstar takes a have a look at how the historic venue, which is able to host some big-ticket fixtures just like the second semi-final, is shaping up.

As per the International Cricket Council’s rule, the stadium must be handed over to the match organising committee on September 15.

If you might be planning to look at a sport at Eden Gardens, right here’s all you want to know:

Capacity: The stadium has a capability of 65,500. Of these, 63,252 seats are for spectators, whereas the remaining are inside the hospitality field. Only 32,000 tickets can be found for followers by way of BookMyShow. The remaining tickets are complimentary passes distributed amongst golf equipment, affiliated models, businesses, sponsors, life members, and former India internationals. Each of the 121 golf equipment — 37 first-division, 57 second division, 8 college, 18 district associations and 1 workplace membership — affiliated with the state affiliation is entitled to a quota of tickets for any worldwide fixture.

“The clubs get their quota of tickets directly from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), whereas the general public needs to book tickets through the BookMyShow app and then collect physical tickets from the box office,” says CAB president, Snehasish Ganguly.

The affiliation intends to collaborate with BookMyShow and set up 10-15 field workplace counters in numerous elements of town and close to the stadium to facilitate the gathering of bodily tickets.

Hospitality containers: There are 32 company hospitality containers on the stadium, with 16 reserved for the state affiliation and the remaining for BCCI and ICC. Each company field can match 25 individuals and has three eating areas and 4 restrooms. “Some of these boxes have been acquired by a few corporate groups on a 10-year contract with the CAB,” says a state affiliation official.

Additionally, there are six 16-seater containers within the clubhouse for friends and dignitaries, every with two eating areas and two restrooms.

Practice amenities: Teams will use the Jadavpur University floor in Salt Lake, which is affiliated with the BCCI and has hosted a number of home fixtures, as a follow facility. In case of rain, they’ll practice on the Pankaj Gupta Indoor facility in Eden Gardens.

“Usually, teams prefer training at the main ground, which has all the facilities. But in case any team plans to train at the Jadavpur University ground, we have ensured that they get top-quality facilities there as well,” Ganguly says.

Pitches: Four out of the 9 wickets made from black cotton soil might be used within the World Cup. Despite the probability of the dew consider October and November, the CAB curator, Sujan Mukherjee, is assured of manufacturing a sporting wicket throughout that interval.

“It’s not like only batters will dominate. We are trying to produce wickets that will help bowlers as well. On these surfaces, even bowlers can get some purchase if they put in the effort,” says Mukherjee, who has been taking care of the Eden floor for years.

The final ODI hosted by Eden Gardens this January resulted in a low-scoring affair, with India successful by 4 wickets towards Sri Lanka. Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj claimed three wickets every.

“For the World Cup, the idea is to prepare a sporting track so that games are not one-sided,” Mukherjee provides.

Drainage and outfield: Before IPL 2023, the complete outfield was coated with sand to enhance drainage at Eden Gardens, one of many few venues in India the place the complete floor is roofed throughout rains.

“Even if it rains, we can resume a game in quick time. No overs will be curtailed since the outfield dries up quickly,” Ganguly says.

During World Cup match days, 90 groundsmen might be deputed to organize the bottom.

Entry factors: There are 17 gates and 84 turnstiles on the venue. Gate No. 1 is reserved for gamers and match officers, whereas the Club House gate is for spectators with entry to hospitality containers. The remaining gates are for normal admission.

The stadium is located within the coronary heart of town and has wonderful public transportation connections. The Esplanade Metro station is only a stone’s throw away, and spectators can simply attain the bottom by bus or ferry, as Chandpal Ghat (Babughat) is close by. For these coming from Howrah, the stadium is simply a 20-minute ferry journey away, with a normal ticket costing Rs 10. On match days, the metro service is anticipated to run till late hours.

On match days, visitors might be diverted for safety causes. Spectators arriving by bus could have to stroll a couple of kilometre from the Esplanade to the bottom. CAB officers state that there are eight to 9 spacious parking areas in and across the Maidan the place spectators can park their autos. “We issue VIP car parking stickers ahead of every game to make sure those coming to watch a game don’t face any issues while parking their cars,” a CAB official says.

Accessibility and challenges: It’s a protracted stroll from the doorway to the stands. Fans could battle to seek out their approach to the proper blocks and zones.

However, CAB has discovered an answer by partnering with BookMyShow to nominate volunteers who will help spectators in finding their respective seat zones. Additionally, indicators might be positioned in numerous areas for simple navigation.

The affiliation has allotted Block B for individuals with disabilities and can set up momentary ramps for wheelchair entry. “When fans book their tickets online, they need to inform us whether they would require assistance. Accordingly, we will depute our volunteers to guide them,” says Ganguly. However, the spectators want to hold their wheelchairs.

In case of emergency: Round-the-clock ambulance service is accessible on the stadium premises. Medical kiosks might be arrange previous to the match. The CAB has partnered with Woodlands Hospital to offer on-site medical providers. “We will set up under-gallery medical rooms in the blocks where doctors will be available around the block. There will be at least four to five super-specialty ambulances,” the CAB president says.

Dressing rooms: There are separate dressing rooms for the house and away groups, every with a sauna, steam room, three bathrooms, and a bathe enviornment.

A lounge for gamers and coaches is positioned on the bottom flooring, and a state-of-the-art gymnasium is accessible on the Pankaj Gupta Indoor facility.

Washrooms: In the stands, there are 51 washrooms: 10 for males and eight for girls within the upper-tier of the B, C, Okay, and L blocks, and 18 for males and 15 for girls beneath the gallery. Additionally, company containers and the Club House have separate washrooms on every flooring, with three to 4 bathrooms in every. Although CAB officers claimed that there are separate bathrooms for differently-abled people, Sportstar didn’t discover any such amenities. However, officers claimed that Block B, reserved for differently-abled spectators, can have a number of particular bathrooms.

Water: There are 20 water stations and 155 water factors throughout the venue for spectators to entry free water. The BCCI may even companion with the match’s official pouring companion to offer consuming water.

Sustainibility: Eden Gardens is positioned within the Maidan space, which falls beneath the Indian Army’s jurisdiction. As a outcome, the stadium’s lease should be prolonged each 15 years, making it troublesome to make structural modifications. While photo voltaic panels usually are not out there, the stadium intends to be environmentally pleasant by implementing waste administration and sorting dry and moist waste into separate zones throughout tournaments.

Floodlights: The CAB has put in BVP680 with a DMX controller to switch the outdated floodlights. The 4 LED floodlights be certain that the lights might be again immediately in case of any points.

What’s new: The CAB plans to do landscaping on the partitions with crops and work whereas repairs are ongoing within the concourse space. On match days, mild and sound exhibits will happen throughout intervals. Additionally, laser exhibits might be projected onto the principle gate, the place footage of legends from Bengal might be displayed together with dwell scoreboards. The media centre and press field have been refurbished to accommodate 150 individuals. Separate containers can be found for the tv commentary panel in English and Hindi, in addition to a specialised zone for All India Radio.

“The stadium’s main electronic scoreboard will have a new look, while a second electronic scoreboard will also be installed,” says Ganguly.

Areas that want consideration

# The Joginder Singh, Dhan Singh Thapa, Pankaj Roy, and BN Dutt Stands lack roofs, leaving spectators uncovered to daylight and chilly winds from the Ganges throughout day-night video games in October and November.

# Although the renovated press field is supplied with trendy amenities, accessing the fifth flooring with out the elevator on match days might be difficult. Also, there aren’t any bathrooms on the ground, with the closest ones being positioned on the fourth flooring within the media centre.