Sambalpur, Aug. 18: Cricket lovers of the city will be deprived of the opportunity to witness a Ranji Trophy match at the Veer Surendra Sai Stadium here.

Sambalpur District Athletic Association secretary Dulal Chandra Pradhan said: "Since Sambalpur is quite far from the Bhubaneswar airport, the BCCI expressed its reluctance to hold any match here. I had also discussed with the Odisha Cricket Association on the issue. But, they said players of other states were expressing reluctance to travel to Sambalpur, which is around 320km from the state capital."

"Despite having all facilities to hold a Ranji match, the absence of an airport emerges as the major reason behind the exclusion of Sambalpur in the high-profile cricket fixtures."

"However, the cricket lovers will be able to watch the Under-23 cricket match between Odisha and Haryana at the stadium here. The tie will be held in October," Pradhan said.

The stadium has hosted 15 Ranji matches till date. The last match was held between the home team and Vidarbha on this ground. The stadium has also hosted two Deodhar Trophy matches. It has six galleries and can accommodate around 20,000 spectators.

"Three Ranji matches will be held in the state in October. The matches will be held at the KIIT Ground in Bhubaneswar, Barabati Stadium and the DRIEM ground in Cuttack," said Pradhan.

"It is really disappointing that we will not be able to witness a Ranji match here," said Sanak Hota, a cricket fan.

"The city is well-connected by road and rail. However, an airport has become essential for the region. The government has set a target to complete work of Jharsuguda airport by 2016, which is around 50km from here," said Sanak.