The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to massively undertake to renovate work on at least stadiums that are in line to host the matches of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 to be played from October 5 onwards in India.
BCCI has become the richest cricket board in the world thanks to the game attracting huge money over the past 10 years. However, the fans who bring in this money and have made the game so popular, have been constantly deprived of basic facilities at most venues around the country.
Recently during the four-Test series at home between India and Australia, fans had vented their ire over the lack of clean toilets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. One of the oldest stadiums in India, the stadium formerly known as Ferozeshah Kotla, has always been seen as a venue lacking the modernization needed.
It is not surprising that Delhi is among the five venues which underwent a GAP assessment from the BCCI. The other venues are Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mohali, and Mumbai, PTI reported.
Budgets Revealed For BCCI’s Planned Renovations Of The Five Stadiums
The Wankhede in Mumbai had undergone renovation before the India-Australia ODIs last month after a fan complained of poor sanitary conditions at the famous stadium. The projected cost of renovation at the five venues runs into hundreds of crores.
It will cost Rs 100 crore to revamp the Delhi stadium, Rs 117.17 crore for Hyderabad, Rs 127.47 crore for the iconic Eden Gardens at Kolkata, Rs 79.46 crore for the aging PCA stadium in Mohali and Rs 78.82 crore for Wankhede. The costs increase drastically if roof work is involved.
The BCCI has reportedly shortlisted 12 venues to host World Cup games which include Ahmedabad, the likely venue for the final, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Rajkot and Mumbai.
A total of 48 games will be played in the 46-day ICC event, as India hosts the World Cup as the solo host for the first time. India last hosted the ODI World Cup in 2011 when the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team lifted the trophy.