Even before Bombay High Court had formally ordered relocation of 13 IPL matches from drought-hit Maharashtra, the Jharkhand State Cricket Association had begun quiet groundwork in eager anticipation of bagging spillovers.
If well-placed sources in the JSCA are to be believed, they are "pushing" for at least four matches at the Dhurwa stadium in Ranchi. "It will be a no-profit-no-loss situation if two matches are granted to us. We need a quartet," said an official in the know of things.
The official explained the rationality behind the demand.
"Around Rs 50 lakh is given for conducting an IPL match. It is expected to cover maintenance of stadium, security, power backup and Internet availability among other things. Since the JSCA doesn't have any say in ticket sale, which is managed by franchises, so earnings are meagre. Our calculations show that if four matches are allotted, it will give us a profit margin. Let's see... The BCCI may settle for three matches here, probably of the Pune Supergiants because the team is led by our M.S. Dhoni and the turnout will be good," he said.
The JSCA International Stadium Complex had last hosted one of the three T20 bilateral ties between India and Sri Lanka on February 12 after Delhi High Court shifted the match out of Feroz Shah Kotla grounds. The 2016 IPL calendar had ditched the sought-after Dhurwa greens until luck came into play.
But, the million dollar question is whether Ranchi is ready to host IPL matches, which require gallons of water for ground maintenance?
Several parts of Jharkhand, including the capital city, are grappling with acute water crisis, with more than two months of scorching summer still in store.
Hatia Dam, located close to the JSCA stadium, has registered more than 50 per cent plunge in its water level. The other reservoirs in Kanke and Rukka are suffering quick dehydration too. The swelling crisis has put civic guardian RMC in a spot with Jharkhand High Court.
Air connectivity between Mumbai and Ranchi may also be an issue. There are only two direct flights - one operated by IndiGo and the other by GoAir, both in the afternoon.
When this correspondent visited the stadium on Thursday, he found the JSCA battling its own demons.
The main ground and the oval, which were once lush and picturesque, looked pale and patchy with lot of loose sand in the outfield. Manicured plants and the green carpet in non-playing areas too seemed to have lost their sheen.
But, a senior JSCA official insisted that the ground now was far better than what it was in February. "Back then, we didn't have sufficient time to prepare the ground because we had had back-to-back domestic matches and the bilateral tie was allotted at a very short notice," he said.
The official, however, conceded water crisis. "We had 20 deep bore wells, but only one is functional today," he said.
Another JSCA source maintained that on an average, 24,000 litres of water would be needed daily to maintain the main ground. "If matches are announced for Ranchi, we will also need 15 days in hand for homework," he said, adding that a well, a ditch and a rainwater harvesting structure were in order to meet the need, besides the deep bore.
The stadium has 12 overhead tanks, each of 5,000-litre for restaurant, pool and toilet needs. "When the stadium is in high demand, we roughly need 100,000 litres a day. Since this is lean period, we aren't facing acute problem yet. If matches are allotted, we shall close the pool and assess water requirements to work out alternative arrangements," an official said.
Manoj Kumar, vice-president of JSCA, said it was too early to comment on possible water crisis during matches. "If IPL ties are allotted, we will take a decision in consultation with the state government. Only if the government promises full co-operation on the water front and deploys tankers, we shall go ahead," he added.
