Delhi to get new cricket stadium near Virender Sehwag's home

According to reports, Delhi may soon be getting a new stadium, with international cricket ending their ties with Feroze Shah Kotla. The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is in talks to build a new 50,000 seater stadium between Dwarka and Najafgarh, close to Virender Sehwag’s home and also adjacent to the airport. The project is expected to be finished by the year 2020. The Feroze Shah Kotla ground was built in the year 1883 and is the second oldest stadium in India after Eden Gardens of Kolkata.

This stadium is also the home to the Delhi Daredevils, a cricket franchise playing in the IPL and the Delhi cricket team who play in the Ranji Trophy. It has a seating capacity of 38,167 while a number of those seats do not provide a full view of the field.

The association officials are already talking to the ministry of urban development over the process of acquiring the 10 or so acres of land and the process of identifying it, according to the DDCA treasurer Ravinder Manchanda.

"DDCA will have a new stadium near Dwarka. Talks are on and we are going to start the project after identifying the land," Manchanda told the Times of India.

When asked how the DDCA would accumulate the money, he said that the association was due to get its share in subsidies from the BCCI for the past three years amounting to Rs 60 crore.

Manchanda also said that DDCA would be moving its main office the new hub. He was also quoted saying: "There are plans to build a new clubhouse and the stadium at Kotla will be used for academies, first class matches and training players and coaches."

The stadium in the past has been questioned about its readiness to host the ICC World T20 fixtures but the matches went on without any issues after being eventually cleared.

The DDCA’s cricket operations head Siddharth Verma was quoted saying: "We are working hard to make DDCA the model cricket association in the country, with the best facilities for players. We have more supporters than detractors. We shall not disappoint them."

Sources close to the board have said that the DDCA would have to spend at least Rs 250 crore to build the proposed stadium. It is generally believed that the association would ensure that the new stadium has the best of facilities.

It will also have better connectivity to the airport, which would help keep the traffic in control during high profile international matches. Around 5,500 hotel rooms are available close to the airport which would be a huge bonus for the fans that do not live in Delhi.