After 9 years, Dharamsala to host two IPL matches in May

Dharamsala, April 5

IPL matches will be played in Dharamsala after a gap of about nine years. Dharamsala will host two IPL matches on May 17 and 19. Punjab Kings XI will take on Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals in the scenic stadium here.

The last IPL match was held in Dharamsala in 2013. Since then, no IPL match was held here due to a legal battle over the control of the Dharamsala cricket stadium beteen the then Congress government and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

The Dharamsala cricket stadium’s pitch was recently re-laid. Therefore, a fresh surface will be used for the IPL matches. Meanwhile, the tourism industry has welecomed the return of IPL matches to Dharamsala. Deepak, a tour operator, says that the two IPL matches will see a huge tourist inflow for a week in May. Bookings for the season have already started picking up, he adds.

The Dharamsala stadium has a seating capacity of 25,000. The IPL matches in the stadium used to attract a host of tourists and cricket enthusiasts.

However, being a small hill station, Dharamsala also has its own set of challenges. Sudden influx of tourists to the town creates traffic management problems for the local police.

During the IPL matches held here earlier, the state government used to provide help to the HPCA in the form of providing police force for security and management of the venue. HRTC buses were provided to carry out shuttle service to take spectators from parking places that are located at far off places to the stadium.

However, during the stint of the previous Congress government from 2012 to 2017, the police started sending bills to the HPCA for providing security for the matches. This discouraged the IPL franchises from hosting a match in Dharamsala.

Sanjay Sharma, director of the HPCA, said, “We are expecting cooperation from the state government for hosting the matches. The IPL matches promote Dharamsala as a tourist destination across the world and also attract tourists to the region. The government should support sports bodies in organising national and international cricket matches here as this will also promote tourism.”

High tourist footfall expected

• The tourism industry has welcomed the return of IPL matches in Dharamsala
• The city will host two matches on May 17 and 19
• A tour operator said that the matches would provide about a week of packed tourist season to the region
• Bookings for the season have already started
• The Dharamsala cricket stadium has a seating capacity of 25,000