2023 ODI World Cup venues: Ekana Stadium — capability, pitch information and areas that want consideration

The Ekana Stadium in Lucknow has been added to the venue roster for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, bringing immense satisfaction to the town’s cricketing neighborhood. The venue, inaugurated in 2017, serves as the house floor for the Indian Premier League franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and can be a most popular venue for worldwide ladies’s cricket. Furthermore, it has been the adopted house floor for Afghanistan’s males’s group for its worldwide fixtures.

Yudhvir Singh, the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, believes internet hosting World Cup matches will enhance cricket within the area and encourage younger expertise. They are dedicated to creating it a memorable expertise for all concerned.

If you might be planning to observe a recreation on the Ekana Stadium through the World Cup, right here’s all it is advisable to know:

Capacity: The Ekana Stadium has a capability of roughly 50,000 spectators. The normal stands on the east and west ends maintain 44,296 seats, whereas the remainder are allotted to hospitality areas within the north and south ends. Among these, 2,716 seats are reserved for closed hospitality areas, and about 3,390 seats are designated for semi-hospitality (open President’s Stand) areas. Importantly, there aren’t any pillars or sight screens, making certain an unobstructed view for all spectators at Ekana.

Hospitality bins: There are 32 hospitality bins, 16 at every finish. While seat distribution varies, every field is supplied with its personal washroom and bathe. Additionally, there are 4 VVIP areas, sometimes internet hosting the town’s political figures, with their very own eating areas. These areas are reserved for esteemed friends and dignitaries. In phrases of seat allocation, the BCCI has reserved 200 seats, the International Cricket Council 250 seats, collaborating groups 40 seats, and the UPCA 400 seats, as per a tentative seating association accessed by Sportstar.

WiFi will likely be out there to gamers and choose friends. Three ranges within the North and South Ends may be accessed by stairs and elevators on both facet. There will likely be a separate entrance and stairway for collaborating groups to safeguard their privateness and security.

Practice amenities: Adjacent to the Ekana Stadium is a B floor with 19 pitches and web amenities, utilised for cricket teaching camps, academy matches, and membership video games. The LSG prioritises this area for its preparations. However, there aren’t any indoor nets or apply areas out there on-site.

There is a herringbone drainage system at Ekana, resembling the bones of a herring fish, which features a central sloping pipe with lateral pipes to effectively handle water. 
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA

Pitches: The Ekana Stadium pitch drew scrutiny when Hardik Pandya criticised it as a ‘shocker’ following a low-scoring T20I towards New Zealand. Subsequently, the curator, Surendra Yadav, was changed by Sanjeev Agarwal. After the 2023 IPL season, the pitch underwent intensive renovation. Pictures of your complete centre being dug up circulated on social media, revealing salt accumulation. Agarwal utilised terreplex, a protected acid, to change soil pH and dissolve calcified deposits over a 14-day interval. The pitch consists of three layers: a base of coarse soil, an intermediate layer, and an eight-inch prime layer of cricketing soil, with some venues choosing clay whereas others use sand. “We have brought in black soil from Odisha, which is one of the best to use for cricket. It has a 67 percent clay composition. Ekana has nine pitches in total, of which four have a black soil base while the other five use red soil — Mumbai soil, which helps more with turn,” Agarwal stated.

Floodlights: The stadium has six halogen floodlight towers, which want half-hour to come back on utterly.

Drainage and outfield: There is a herringbone drainage system, resembling the bones of a herring fish, which features a central sloping pipe with lateral pipes to effectively handle water. This design permits for match resumption inside half-hour after the rain stops. Additionally, the system collects rainwater in a moat across the outfield for reuse.

Entry factors: There are 5 important entrance gates and 25 entry factors to the stands. Gate No. 3 is often reserved for gamers and VIPs. A peripheral street encircles the primary venue, facilitating simple automotive and bus entry, a rarity amongst Indian stadiums. However, crowd management will likely be essential on busy match days to make sure the passageway stays usable for autos. Five hundred parking slots for two-wheelers and four-wheelers can be found in a number of areas.

Although Lucknow lacks metro entry to the stadium, buses run to Amar Shaheed Path, the primary connecting street. E-rickshaws and shuttle companies are additionally thought-about for fan mobility on match days. An problem reporters confronted through the IPL was delays at safety checks as these within the Sportz City would additionally entry the amenities via the identical entrances. Security for the World Cup will likely be more proficient and skilled in experiencing this, and preparations are additionally anticipated to facilitate the sleek entry and exit of followers.

The ICC World Cup is anticipating an enormous influx of journalists from around the globe, which the organisers right here have to work on accommodating. 
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA

Accessibility and challenges: There are good amenities for wheelchair-bound spectators, together with spacious walkways within the stands and seats at stair ranges with wheelchair entry in each block. Six spiral ramps across the stadium guarantee quick access to the stands. The venue prioritises accessibility for followers with various talents, and the organisers are contemplating offering wheelchairs on campus if essential. However, ramps aren’t out there throughout the stands for motion between blocks, limiting wheelchair-accessible seating to that particular ground stage.

In case of emergency: There will likely be six medical kiosks. Four ambulances will likely be on standby on the premises, with two devoted to gamers, one every for the house and away group.

Dressing rooms: There are two spacious dressing rooms within the South End, painted in a blue-ivory-white color scheme. They provide an identical amenities for each house and away groups, together with participant sofas, particular person slots with storage and lockers, and a viewing gallery for help workers. Connected to the dressing rooms is a big eating space, with passageways resulting in saunas, ice baths, and jacuzzi rooms for participant warm-up and restoration. A standard health club is centrally positioned between the dressing rooms, and washrooms and showers are readily accessible.

Washrooms: Every block gives accessible washroom amenities for males, ladies, and the otherwise abled. These spacious washrooms characteristic over 15 cubicles, a number of urinals, good air flow, and handy proximity to face entrances. Dedicated washrooms for the otherwise abled embrace help handles and protected flooring, with accessible wash basins, though peak might be a priority for some customers.

Water: Drinking water fountains are discovered within the frequent space of each block. The BCCI plans to tie up with the official ‘pouring partner’ of the event to offer free ingesting water for all of the spectators.

The Ekana Stadium has a capability of roughly 50,000 spectators. 
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA

Renewable power: At the second, Ekana doesn’t use renewable power. The stadium has generator backup to make sure there aren’t any stoppages in play or broadcast as a result of electrical energy failure. “Renewable energy like solar panels are concepts we’ve earmarked to explore in the future given the space we have here in the stadium campus,” Ankit Chatterjee, CEO of UPCA, stated.

The floor itself, nonetheless, makes use of harvesting mechanisms to maximise the usage of rainwater within the maintenance of the premises and to direct again to the RO water facility arrange right here within the upkeep of the pitch.

Areas that want consideration

# The media field within the Ekana Stadium has a capability of 60. The ICC World Cup is anticipating an enormous influx of journalists from around the globe, which the organisers right here have to work on accommodating.

# Ground workers and locals say that rainfall in Lucknow has been lower than optimum thus far, with worries about rain interruptions through the World Cup. Provisions for indoor nets and coaching areas needs to be one addition to the preparations forward of the event.

# To handle spectators’ issues, notably these driving from the town, the UPCA is collaborating with safety companies to streamline parking and the stroll to the primary stadium, with a concentrate on making certain organised entry and exit, particularly throughout India’s scheduled match.