Stage set for IPL playoffs at Mullanpur

Three of the top-four finishers arrived in the city for the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs scheduled to be held at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on May 29 and 30.

While table-toppers Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians landed in the city this evening, Gujarat Titans attended a practice session at the match venue today. Out of the four teams, Gujarat and Mumbai will play season’s first game in Mullanpur, while Bangalore had won one, and Punjab won two of their four home matches here.

The stadium is schedule to host the Qualifier 1 between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 29, followed by the Eliminator clash between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians on May 30. Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium will host the Qualifier 2 and the final. The change in venues was decided by the IPL Governing Council considering the weather conditions and other parameters.

Earlier, the Mullanpur ground hosted four Punjab league stage home matches against Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. This will be for the first time that the PCA will host the playoffs at the new stadium.

An emotional moment

Meanwhile, Gujarat players led by skipper and local lad Shubhman Gill attended a practice session on Tuesday. Gill will play at his ground for the first time after being named as the captain of Indian cricket Test team. At his home ground, Gill received a warm welcome from not only senior officials, but also from groundsmen, technical staff and others who watched him nurturing at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium, Mohali, and reaching the position of leading the Indian side.

Sources said the PCA authority would also honour Gill for becoming the third cricketer from the state to be appointed as regular skipper of the Indian Test team. “It’s good to watch him growing in all these years. I have been working with the stadium for two decades now, and still remember the time when he was just another youngster coming here in the hope of a better future,” said a groundsman here.

Weather worries

Rain may disturb the scheduled two matches at the Mullanpur stadium. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), both days may have cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers. However, the Mullanpur stadium is the region’s first international cricket stadium to have a herringbone drainage system, which will allow matches to resume within 30 minutes even in case of heavy rain.

Chandigarh