Cricket World Cup 2023: ICC’s head curator inspects Chepauk Stadium

Ground preparation and infrastructure in full swing for ICC men’s ODI World Cup Cricket tournament at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

As the ICC Men’s One Day International World Cup inches closer, Chennai and the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium will be at the centre of attention as it will host India’s first match of the tournament against Australia on Oct. 8. With the preparations now in full swing, ICC’s head curator, Andy Atkinson, visited the venue on Friday to take stock of the pitch and the outfield.

TNCA secretary R.I. Palani told The Hindu, “It is a routine inspection carried out before a big tournament. He was delighted with all the facilities and the work we have done. We have everything in place to host the games, and he was even pleasantly surprised that we have things in place already.”

Since the end of the IPL in May, no matches have been held at the venue, allowing the TNCA to do some maintenance work on all the pitches in the square.

Ahead of the World Cup, new LED lights have been installed in the four floodlight towers, which are 40-50 % more energy efficient than the old lamps.

The stadium — which will host five World Cup league matches — underwent a significant revamp recently, with new stands at the pavilion end that were opened before the India-Australia ODI held earlier this year in March.