Makeover mode: Birsa Munda Cricket Stadium in Chaibasa

The Birsa Munda Cricket Stadium in Chaibasa is padding up for a cool makeover in the hope of hosting Ranji ties in the near future.

Having successfully hosted junior matches of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Chaibasa-headquartered West Singhbhum District Cricket Association (WSDCA) has now embarked on the ambitious project of adding plush, air-conditioned rooms to the stadium.

The managing committee of Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) approved the Rs 20-lakh project at a meeting on September 9.

The district cricket association secretary Ashim Kumar Singh said they had adequate space for the rooms. “We have 27 shops on either side of SR Rungta Pavilion. Eight rooms will be built atop these shops. They will be air-conditioned with attached toilets,” he told The Telegraph over phone from Chaibasa.

The district cricket body has held talks with SR Rungta Mines and another business houses of Chaibasa for sponsoring the project. “So far, discussions have been fruitful. Funds will not be a hindrance for timely completion of the project,” Singh said.

Once the accommodation facility is ready, the district cricket association will no longer have to scout for hotels to put up players during matches. “The hotels of Chaibasa are not very good. But we have to depend on them for accommodating junior teams, as there is no lodging facility at the stadium. Once the rooms are built, Chaibasa will become one of the few independent cricketing centres in Jharkhand,” Singh, also JSCA assistant secretary, added.

Most importantly, the proposed facility will strengthen Chaibasa’s case for hosting Ranji matches. The district association is keen on turning Birsa Munda Cricket Stadium into a Ranji venue, for which good accommodation is a key requirement. The association has already requested deputy commissioner (DC) K. Srinivasan to provide land so that it can expand the stadium to meet the basic criterion for hosting first class matches.

It has sought vacant land on either side of the stadium. While a football ground is located on one side, Bihar State Road Transport Corporation bus depot lies on the other.

“A Ranji venue requires a minimum circumference of 140 yards, but towns that have fields with a circumference of 120-130 yards are being allowed to host senior matches. After the proposed extension, Chaibasa stadium will have a circumference of 130 yards. We met the deputy commissioner recently and he has promised to take necessary steps,” said Singh.

As of now, Ranji matches are held in Jamshedpur, Ranchi and Dhanbad. Chaibasa has been hosting BCCI’s U-16 matches for a couple of years now, besides organising off-season training camps. It is also a regular venue for JSCA’s inter-district tournaments.

At present, the stadium is hosting the second U-19 women’s camp. The U-16 camp will be held later this month. Chaibasa will also host the Jharkhand-Assam under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy league match from December 14 to 16.