Srinagar: The huge success of the recent Red Premier League (RPL) T20 has paved the way for Bakshi Stadium to host two more cricketing spectacles, namely Indian Heavens Premier League T20 (IHPL T20) and the Legends League T20.
Though traditionally a football ground, Bakshi Stadium is being slowly converted into multi-sporting venue with majority of cricket events set to be held at the venue in future. It had its first-ever cricketing event last year when it hosted the Legends League T20, and that too, without any seats empty, thus, giving the fans of the Kashmir Valley an opportunity to experience elite cricket.
The same mood was visible this year as well, with the excellent execution of the RPL and the final match where Royal Goodwill Sports Club beat Athwas XI India before a fully packed Bakshi Stadium. A fantastic night was had by all, and the event showed how this arena can be used for cricket as well.
As per sources and the advertisements made by the organizers, the J&K Sports Council has already given the go-ahead for the following two leagues. The Indian Heavens Premier League (IHPL) T20 is slated to begin on October 23 with the stadium getting ready for the occasion with the necessary pitch preparation and player trials. After this, the Legends League T20 will be back, packed with star players of the past and present and audience in Srinagar will be animated by their performances as usual.
The news about Bakshi Stadium development has been greeted with smiles by sports lovers as it not only means the stadium is on the cricket map of India but also the fans in this area are witnessing live and high-quality cricket at a very close proximity with their own eyes. Still, some people worry that since the stadium is a football ground, it would be difficult to maintain it for both games and that may require frequent maintenance, good lighting quality, and proper pitch management. However, as is now a reality, the football fraternity seemed to have surrendered and are contend with the fact that Bakshi Stadium is now a Cricket stadium and they are happy to have their Games played on synthetic turfs across Srinagar City instead of Bakshi Stadium.
The back-to-back events are fast turning Bakshi Stadium into the new center of the Valley for cricketing entertainment.
