The famous Eden Gardens in the heart of Kolkata could host another ICC event final in the future T20 World Cup in 2026. The BCCI intends to bid on Kolkata as the destination for the 2026 T20 World Cup Final, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
According to reports in Kolkata, Eden Gardens will be restored soon if the BCCI wins the bid to host the Final in the City of Joy. The famous stadium will be improved, with more amenities and a bolder design. Eden Gardens will host its third World Cup final if it hosts the event in 2026.
The 2016 T20 World Cup Final and the 1987 World Cup Final were previously contested at the same venue. In addition, India faced South Africa in Kolkata, where Virat Kohli created a new record in ODI Cricket with his 49th ODI century.
The renovations may begin as soon as the IPL 2024 concludes, which means Eden Gardens may not host any India matches in the calendar year 2024. This year, the stadium hosted five World Cup matches, including Australia’s semifinal against South Africa.
In addition, the legendary stadium will once again be host to the two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Kolkata Knight Riders. The team did not make it all the way to the finals of the 16th edition of the prestigious tournament, as they were eliminated in the knockout stages.
The two-time champions finished seventh in the IPL 2023 rankings after playing 14 games and winning six of them. Nitish Rana-led side lost their final eight games, finishing eighth with 12 points in 14 games.
As the tournament’s 17th season approaches, it would be intriguing to watch how Kolkata fared and if they were able to win their third IPL title. The two-time champions made a significant move by hiring former captain Gautam Gambhir as a mentor.
Gautam Gambhir shares a good rapport with several KKR players, notably Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, and Andre Russell, having previously represented the franchise. During his tenure with the Delhi Capitals (DC), he also got along well with captain Shreyas Iyer.
The next edition of the IPL will see the return of skipper Iyer, who was injured last season. Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, and Varun Chakravarthy will form the team’s core. The Purple and Gold brigade will undoubtedly have some work to do in the forthcoming IPL auction on December 19th.