Motera Stadium will host Team India's bio-secure training camp: Reports
The Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad is likely to host Team India's much-awaited training camp soon. Reportedly, 26 players and 18 support staff members will train at the venue under a bio-secure environment. The Sardar Patel Stadium, also known as Motera Stadium, was rebuilt in Ahmedabad earlier this year. Notably, it hosted the 'Namaste Trump' event in February.
The Motera Stadium was rebuilt after demolishing the old one, which was constructed in 1982 with a seating capacity of 49,000 spectators. The capacity has now been extended to 1.10 lakh, making it the world's largest cricket stadium. It is spread over 64 acres with three entrances and comprises a clubhouse with 55 rooms, gymnasium, indoor pitches, and food courts.
The all-new stadium, which was constructed at a cost of nearly $100 million, now has over 70 corporate boxes, four dressing rooms, and an Olympic-size swimming pool. Its construction began three years ago (in January 2017).
An Apex Council member revealed Motera Stadium is the first-choice venue for conducting the training camp. "We cannot go to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru as the city is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases. Hence, Ahmedabad, with its facilities, is a place where we can hold a training camp under a bio-secure environment," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
As per recent reports, the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League will likely be played from September 19 to November 8. The IPL Governing Council Chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed the BCCI has already sent the acceptance letter to the Emirates Cricket Board for conducting the tournament in UAE. Meanwhile, a formal announcement regarding the IPL schedule is expected to be made soon.
Recently, several speculations regarding the training camp for Indian players, have been doing the rounds. Besides, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to set an official date of commencement. In its meeting, it was decided that space inside the Motera stadium could be utilized by contracted players to quarantine and begin training as a lead-up to international cricket.
