Mullanpur cricket stadium’s wait for ICC event gets longer

For a second occasion in recent times, the newly developed Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Punjab Cricket Association International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) failed to make the cut for hosting ICC Cricket World Cup matches— despite India being a co-host of the showpiece event.

The (Board of Control for Cricket in India) BCCI recently hosted the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Cricket World Cup, where Indian eves created history by lifting the title. Next up, it is set to host the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup next year, starting in February 2026. The schedule for the latter event was released yesterday, but the Mullanpur facility did not feature on it.

Since its inception, the stadium has hosted only two international games, both in the lead-up to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Besides, the stadium has hosted the Indian Premier league (IPL) games for Punjab Kings and BCCI’s domestic matches.

Come December 11, the stadium is scheduled to host its first ever International T20 match between South Africa and India, but the fans were hopeful of a few World Cup matches. “It’s really difficultl to understand why the stadium was left out. The newly developed facility has been raised after spending crores of rupees, but it’s yet to make a mark in the international cricket. Since India is co-hosting the ICC event, the stadium deserved some attention,” said an official privy to the matter.

The ICC has picked Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and Eden Gardens in Kolkata as the Indian

venues for the T20 World Cup— with Delhi being the sole venue from the region to host six matches.

The Mullanpur stadium is the region’s first to boast of a herringbone drainage system, which allows matches to restart within 30 minutes even in case of heavy rains. With a capacity to host 38,000 spectators, the stadium houses 30 corporate boxes, 16 gates and seven pitches.

A dual setback

The stadium was first expected to host international matches for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. However, the BCCI officials had claimed that the stadium was not ready for an event of such magnitude. Back then, the exclusion had stirred a political storm, as the Punjab Government levelled allegations over a selective “pick-and-choose” policy by the BCCI. However, the national sports body had cleared that it has

nothing to do with the allotment of games.

Mohali’s IS Bindra PCA Stadium has hosted the semifinals of the 1996 and the 2011 World Cups, with the latter match between India and Pakistan being one of the most watched games in cricketing history. The PCA Stadium also hosted the India-Australia clash during the 2016 T20 World Cup.