BCCI Secretary visits Mullanpur stadium

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Mullanpur (Mohali), December 1

Jay Shah, Secretary, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), visited the new international cricket stadium in Mullanpur today.

Rajinder Gupta, president, Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), and Secretary Puneet Bali accompanied him on the tour of the under-construction stadium. Shah’s visit was a low-key affair considering the ongoing farmers’ agitation.

Sources said due to this, the media was not informed about his first visit to Chandigarh and Mohali as the BCCI Secretary. The state associations (PCA and UTCA), which usually await such opportunities to gain publicity, tried their best to keep the visit a secret affair.

On Monday evening, he had visited the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh, which is under the UT Sports Department. He interacted with UTCA president Sanjay Tandon and other officials. He also visited UTCA’s another ground— Mahajan Cricket Ground — today.

Purpose of visit

Sources said the BCCI secretary visited these stadiums to see the possibility of creating a bio-bubble for conducting tournaments from January 2021. “Various discussions were held with the stakeholders and suggestions were welcomed by the BCCI Secretary. The associations were aware of Shah’s visit but everyone was asked to keep it a low affair,” said a source.

Sources said the PCA and UTCA may conduct a joint domestic event — a first amid the Covid-19 pandemic — in January 2021. “Both associations may jointly host the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The BCCI has been eager to start domestic cricket after IPL and this visit was part of its planning. “He was here to see if there is a possibility to create a secure bio-bubble for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament,” said Puneet Bali.

Sector 16 stadium

Sources said the BCCI, through their counterparts, has floated a proposal to the UT Administration for handing over the Sector 16 stadium to them. It has been proposed to name the stadium after former Indian Captain Kapil Dev. The stadium is currently under government’s hold and managed by the UT Sports Department. Shah’s visit has again unlocked the speculations of putting pressure on the UT Administration for handing over the stadium to the BCCI.

“The BCCI perceives Chandigarh (rather tricity) as an ideal venue for three major events of its domestic season — Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy — by creating a bio-bubble atmosphere in view of the pandemic. BCCI officials had visited UTCA’s venues earlier too,” said Sanjay Tandon, president, UTCA

“It was a great meeting. And it was great to know his (Shah’s) vision of making this one of the world’s best stadiums. We have learnt a lot,” Rajinder Gupta, PCA, president.

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