The iconic Eden Gardens Stadium is set to host for the the Eliminator and Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2022. After the entire league stage of the tournament was conducted across just four stadiums in Mumbai and Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad have been chosen as the venues for the knockout stages of the tournament. Ahmedabad is scheduled as the venue for the second qualifier and the final, which will take place on May 29.
Kolkata, however, has been facing thunderstorms in the last few days as a result of a depression in the Bay of Bengal, and the threat of rains during the qualifiers looms large. The rains have already caused some damage in the Eden Gardens ahead of the playoffs. The storm, called the Nor’wester, colloquially known as the ‘Kalbaisakhi’, shattered the glass coverings of the press box into smithereens, while also taking down several hoardings and banners inside the stadium.
New IPL entrants Gujarat Titans, who arrived in Kolkata on Sunday evening, were held up by flight delays, as their aircraft could not take flight owing to inclement weather. After a two-hour delay, the flight finally took off, and all the players and the support staff reached Kolkata safely. The players were initially scared, but in the end were able to make it safely, as per a CAB official.
The official also assured the media that the damages in the stadium were minor, and that everything would be taken care of in time for the knockout games.
“Damages were minor and will not affect their preparation for the matches. We still have two days in between. Everything will be ready and the press box glass will be fixed in time,”
said the official.
GT will take on Rajasthan Royals in the first Qualifier, followed by the Eliminator between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 25. The second Qualifier and the finals will take place on May 27 and 28 respectively, in Ahmedabad.
