Dharamsala readies to host two IPL matches

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Dharamsala, March 30

The cricket stadium set up against the background of Dhauladhar mountains here will host two IPL matches in May. As per the schedule released by the IPL Board, Dharamsala will host matches between Punjab Kings XI and Chennai Super Kings on May 5 and Punjab Kings XI and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 9.

“International cricket matches in the Dharamsala stadium have always drawn tourists in a big number to the Dharamsala region. We hope that the stadium will be packed to capacity during the matches and it will give tourism a boost,” president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kangra Ashwani Bamba said.

Considered one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, the venue has come a long way in the past 20 years from being a simple playground of Dharamsala Government College to the venue of five ICC World Cup matches that were hosted here in October last year.

The year 2010 was significant when first IPL matches were hosted in this picturesque stadium. This brought in thousands of cricket fans and BCCI officials to Dharamsala. In successive two years, IPL matches remained key cricketing events which propelled the cricket stadium to international fame.