Chandigarh: In a major boost to cricket infrastructure in the city, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given its consent to construct an international-level indoor cricket facility in Chandigarh — a first-of-its-kind initiative for the region.The proposal was cleared by the BCCI’s apex council, following which BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia wrote to the Union Territory Cricket Association (UTCA), laying out the requirements for setting up the facility. Subsequently, the UTCA has approached the Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator, seeking allotment of land for the project. The association has also conveyed its readiness to provide any additional documentation and facilitate site inspections to expedite the process.Significantly, Chandigarh’s inclusion follows the BCCI’s recent approval and construction of similar indoor cricket facilities-cum-academies in six northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.“After the BCCI approved indoor facilities in the northeastern states, I raised the Chandigarh proposal at a governing meeting a few months ago. The board agreed to extend the same support here,” said Sanjay Tandon, former UTCA president and current governing council member of the BCCI’s Women’s Premier League (WPL).The state-of-the-art facilities proposed include batting strips, automated bowling machines, jogging tracks, a swimming pool and a gymnasium.In his letter to the UTCA president, Saikia noted that strengthening cricketing infrastructure in Chandigarh would aid identification and grooming of local talent while providing young aspirants a structured environment for year-round training.“The establishment of an indoor cricket facility would enable uninterrupted training irrespective of climatic conditions and contribute to enhanced technical skills, physical conditioning and coaching standards,” the letter stated. The apex council, after assessing the proposal and broader interests of cricket development, approved execution of the project in Chandigarh.The letter also clarified that the project would be implemented directly under the aegis of the BCCI through a BCCI-appointed external agency, subject to the UTCA securing an allotment of around 5,000 square metres of land at a suitable, well-connected location. Upon receipt of documentary confirmation of land allotment, the BCCI will initiate execution through its designated agency.UTCA welcomes BCCI nodUTCA president Saraansh Tandon, who received the consent letter, said, “We are thankful to the BCCI for approving an indoor cricket facility for Chandigarh. We have taken up the matter with the Chandigarh administration for land allotment. Once there is a response, we will approach the BCCI to commence work. As per rough estimates, the initial investment is around Rs 20 crore. The facility will be built to international standards for elite and upcoming players.“Land allotment hinges on MHA clearanceSince land allotment in Chandigarh is subject to approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the UT administration cannot allot land independently. An official said the proposal is under consideration at the highest administrative level and will be forwarded to the MHA. “Only after the MHA’s consent will the issue of allotting 5,000 square metres of land be decided. At current rates, such land would cost approximately Rs 60–65 crore in Chandigarh,” the official said.
