Sambalpur, Nov. 26: The Veer Surendra Sai Stadium here is set to host the Ranji Trophy match between Maharashtra and Odisha starting from December 1.

“Preparations for the four-day match have reached final stages. BCCI curator Ashis Bhowmik and curator of Odisha Cricket Association Pankaj Pattnaik visited the stadium to review the pitch and the outfield. They have expressed satisfaction over the arrangements,” Dulal Pradhan, general secretary of district athletic association and vice-president of Odisha Cricket Association, said.

“The pitch is favourable for both bowling and batting. This is a consistent pitch and the players will find it supportive,” said Pradhan.

This will be the 14th Ranji match in the stadium, which can accommodate 20,000 people. The last Ranji match was played on this ground in 2011. Uttar Pradesh had played against Odisha in that match.

The stadium has also hosted two Deodhar Trophy matches earlier.

“The players will arrive in Sambalpur on November 28. We have informed the superintendent of police and requested him to provide security for the players. We have made arrangements for the players practice in the stadium,” said Pradhan.

The spectators will not be charged any entry fee.

“We have informed educational institutions in Sambalpur about the match. We expect a large number of people to come and watch the match,” Pradhan added.

Cricket lovers in Sambalpur are excited about the match.

Abinash Rout, a student, said: “Cricketers such as Bashanta Mohanty, Biplab Samantray and Natraj Behera will play for the Odisha team. National-level players may play for Maharashtra. I will not miss the game.”

“This is a great opportunity for us to watch such players playing on the Sambalpur ground. I had seen the Ranji match between Uttar Pradesh and Odisha last year,” said Ashis Jha, a cricket lover.