• Home
  • Cricket News
  • No Electricity At Raipur For Ind Vs Aus 4Th T20i As Association Forgets Paying Bills

No Electricity At Raipur For IND Vs AUS 4th T20I As Association Forgets Paying Bills

image-lpm9itgbShaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium [Twitter]

In what should have been a thrilling clash between India and Australia at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh stadium, an unexpected hurdle has emerged just hours before the fourth T20 international. Parts of the stadium are in darkness, not due to a technical glitch, but rather a long-standing financial dispute that has left the venue grappling with a severe electricity crunch.

The cause of this unexpected blackout traces back to an unpaid electricity bill that has accumulated since 2009, amounting to a staggering ₹3.16 crore. As a consequence, the electricity connection at the stadium was severed five years ago, forcing the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association to resort to a temporary connection to illuminate the spectators' gallery and boxes.

The floodlights, crucial for hosting an international cricket match, are now reliant on generators, adding an unusual twist to this already intriguing encounter. Raipur Rural Circle in-charge, Ashok Khandelwal, revealed that an application to upgrade the temporary connection's capacity from 200 KV to 1 thousand KV has been approved, but progress on the matter is yet to begin.

Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh media coordinator, Tarunesh Singh Parihar, expressed skepticism about hosting international matches in the future due to the ongoing electricity predicament. For major matches, the association relies on generators as an alternative, raising concerns about the overall matchday experience.

"As far as the stadium lights are concerned, I don't know how much bill is outstanding, but a temporary connection has been taken in the name of CSCS." 

Mr. Parihar commented, highlighting the association's efforts to find makeshift solutions amid the ongoing power struggle.