2023 ODI World Cup venues: Ekana Stadium — capacity, pitch info and areas that need attention

The Ekana Stadium in Lucknow has been added to the venue roster for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, bringing immense pleasure 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 well-liked venue for worldwide girls’s cricket. Furthermore, it has been the adopted residence floor for Afghanistan’s males’s staff for its worldwide fixtures.

Yudhvir Singh, the secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, believes internet hosting World Cup matches will increase 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 look at a sport on the Ekana Stadium in the course of the World Cup, right here’s all it is advisable know:

Capacity: The Ekana Stadium has a capability of roughly 50,000 spectators. The common 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 are not any pillars or sight screens, guaranteeing an unobstructed view for all spectators at Ekana.

Hospitality containers: There are 32 hospitality containers, 16 at every finish. While seat distribution varies, every field is provided with its personal washroom and bathe. Additionally, there are 4 VVIP areas, usually internet hosting the town’s political figures, with their very own eating areas. These areas are reserved for esteemed company 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 accessible to gamers and choose company. 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 internet amenities, utilised for cricket teaching camps, academy matches, and membership video games. The LSG prioritises this house for its preparations. However, there are not any indoor nets or observe areas accessible on-site.

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 the complete centre being dug up circulated on social media, revealing salt accumulation. Agarwal utilised terreplex, a protected acid, to switch 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 high 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 mentioned.

Floodlights: The stadium has six halogen floodlight towers, which want half-hour to return on fully.

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 usually reserved for gamers and VIPs. A peripheral street encircles the principle venue, facilitating straightforward automobile 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 principle connecting street. E-rickshaws and shuttle companies are additionally thought of for fan mobility on match days. An concern reporters confronted in the course of 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 graceful entry and exit of followers.

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 skills, and the organisers are contemplating offering wheelchairs on campus if essential. However, ramps should not accessible 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 staff.

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 residence and away groups, together with participant sofas, particular person slots with storage and lockers, and a viewing gallery for assist employees. 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 typical fitness center is centrally situated between the dressing rooms, and washrooms and showers are readily accessible.

Washrooms: Every block presents accessible washroom amenities for males, girls, and the in a different way abled. These spacious washrooms function over 15 cubicles, a number of urinals, good air flow, and handy proximity to face entrances. Dedicated washrooms for the in a different way abled embrace assist handles and protected flooring, with accessible wash basins, though top could possibly 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.

Renewable power: At the second, Ekana doesn’t use renewable power. The stadium has generator backup to make sure there are not any stoppages in play or broadcast resulting from 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, mentioned.

The floor itself, nonetheless, makes use of harvesting mechanisms to maximise using rainwater within the repairs 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 world wide, which the organisers right here must work on accommodating.

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

# To tackle spectators’ considerations, significantly these driving from the town, the UPCA is collaborating with safety companies to streamline parking and the stroll to the principle stadium, with a deal with guaranteeing organised entry and exit, particularly throughout India’s scheduled match.