Dharmasala (PTI): Even as the fate of the Indian Premier League (IPL) hangs in balance, the picturesque cricket stadium of Dharmasala is bracing for its date with the second edition of the Twenty20 tournament scheduled to start next month.
With the IPL authorities dropping Delhi, Jaipur and Visakhapatnam from the fixture they submitted to the Home Ministry yesterday, Dharmasala is set to host a few matches provided the tournament gets the Centre's nod.
Located 4000 feet above the sea level in the lap of the Himalayas, the stadium would prove to be a treat for the touring players, said Administrative manager of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, Sunil Chauhan.
"The stadium will provide ideal conditions for a great game of cricket and I am sure with its picturesque location, the players will have a nice time playing here," Chauhan told PTI.
"We have hosted an international match between South Africa A and India A and many domestic tournaments but hosting the IPL matches will prove to a great boost for the stadium.
It will put Dharmasala into the world cricket map," he added.
However, the stadium is not fully ready to host the high-profile tournament.
The Rs 35 crore project has spectators' stands with around 19,000 capacity, separate corporates and media boxes in addition to the floodlights -- some of which need that finishing touch but Chauhan remains confident that they would be able to meet the deadline.
"Hundreds of workers are working to complete the construction works. Floodlights are yet to be installed but we still have 40 days to go before we host the first match and I am confident the stadium will be ready within the time limit," said Chauhan.
Asked about the security arrangements, Chauhan said, "The Himachal government has assured that security would not be a problem and they would deploy adequate security personnel for the event."
Chauhan, who is also the pitch curator, said expecting the IPL matches, he was also working on the pitch.
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