IPL curtains on Mullanpur stadium, fans hope for better facilities in future

Deepankar Sharda

Mohali, April 21

As the five-match Indian Premier League (IPL) mega piece allotted to Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium at Mullanpur here concluded, fans asked for better facilities for the future cricket events to be organised at the stadium. It was for the first time that the newly built stadium hosted an important event. It is yet to host any international match.

While the audiences enjoyed the home matches of Punjab Kings outfit inside the stadium, the approach roads and parking facilities remained problems. Two roads connecting Chandigarh and New Chandigarh remained jam-packed as a large number of fans reached here to see the matches. The stadium hosted Punjab Kings matches against Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. Though there were high expectations from the Punjab team, they lost four of their five matches here.

“Both approaching roads to the stadium remained congested and the conditions worsened after the conclusion of matches. Fans remained stuck for hours,” said Prabhdeep, a spectator. Another spectator added, “There should be proper signage on both approaching roads. Also, the management should have started a shuttle bus service from parking lots, located far away from the stadium. Facilities should be upgraded here, if the stadium is to be picked for hosting international matches.”

The fans also faced problems during the first match (Delhi Capitals), which was played under the scorching sun. However, after this match, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) management had announced

plans to install canopies to cover the top-tier of the stadiums for a better view during day matches.

The problem of parking also remained an issue. Though the PCA management tried solving it by taking open fields (adjoining the stadium) on lease, the problem persisted throughout the tournament here. “This (parking) needs to be addressed. Even at the designated lots, the vehicles were covered with dust,” said Sapna, a spectator. Long queues were witnessed at entry gates towards the end of the first power play.

Meanwhile, the fans enjoyed the last IPL clash between Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans today. The Punjab outfit will now play their two home matches at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Stadium, Dharamsala, on May 5 and May 9, against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, respectively. “It was great to see players in action here. Punjab faced yet another defeat, but they played really well. This season, Punjab founds the likes of Shashank Singh and Aushutosh Sharma, which can play some big tournaments in the future,” said Mandeep.

During the last match, various incidents of gate crashing were witnessed. Many fans were caught enjoying the match standing in the aisle. Also, no permanent marking of seat numbers troubled the fans. The seats were identified with a temporary sticker, instead of mentioning seat numbers by a permanent marker.