New Mullanpur stadium all geared up for IPL tie

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, March 18

Will the new stadium at Mullanpur end the title drought for Punjab Kings? As Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, gets ready to host its first mega event, all eyes will be on Punjab Kings, who will play on their third home ground since the team’s inception.

The March 23 will be a historic day for the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) as Punjab Kings are scheduled to play their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Capitals. This match will also mark a new journey for the PCA to host future international matches there. After a period of over a decade, and witnessing some controversies, the stadium with a capacity of 35,000 spectators is all set to host the match.

In the past, Punjab Kings, formerly known as Kings XI Punjab, had played their home matches at IS Bindra PCA Stadium, Mohali, and at HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala. In 2016, the franchisee had announced to host three home matches at Nagpur, but later shifted to Dharamsala. The Mullanpur stadium has been their home ground since 2008.

Practice starts

Lead by skipper Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab Kings players have started practising at the stadium. Dhawan, during the jersey launch, termed this new stadium as the team’s “lucky charm”. In the last edition, the team finished 8th with six wins. Meanwhile, for this season, Harshal Patel is likely to play a big role in pacing up the team’s attack. His inclusion will be supported by Kagiso Rabada and the left-arm duo of Sam Curran and local lad Arshdeep Singh. Rilee Rossouw and Chris Woakes are the top-order and new-ball back-ups, respectively. Rishi Dhawan, who has already played domestic matches here, and Sikandar Raza will be the best pick-up option for the team.

No update on ‘Yuvraj stands’

In 2022, the PCA dedicated two stands to former international cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh at Mohali. However, at the new arena (Mullanpur), only Harbhajan’s name gets a mention at the ‘pavilion’ stands. According to sources, the PCA management is yet to take a decision on naming a stand after Yuvraj.

Grand opening planned

Sources also claimed that the PCA was planning for a grand opening of this stadium. “We will surely make it a memorable event. The preparations are already underway,” said Dilsher Khanna, secretary, PCA. The association has already decided to give free entry to underprivileged and specially-abled children.

Rishabh Pant to make a comeback

• The ground will witness the return of Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who suffered a life-threatening car accident in December 2022. He is likely to captain the Delhi Capitals on March 23 here.
• GMADA is working on developing the 1,500m stretch from Togan village till the stadium. Instead of building the four-lane PR4 road, a two-lane road is being widened to three-lane.
• A majority of tickets have been sold and the match is expected to witness a huge crowd.
• The new stadium has a total of 1,620 parking slots, 16 gates, eight ramps, 21 lifts and six pavilions.
• A meeting is likely to be held on March 20 between the Punjab Government and PCA officials to review the construction work around the stadium.