Fresh visuals show Varanasi International Cricket Stadium is over 80% complete, with an October finish expected for the Shiva-inspired ₹330 crore venue.
Fresh visuals of the under-construction Varanasi International Cricket Stadium at Ganjari have gone viral, showing a venue now more than 80% complete, with work expected to finish by early October. Once ready, the stadium will add a major sporting landmark to Kashi and give the city a world-class sports infrastructure facility for both international cricket and local sporting talent. Larsen and Toubro, which won the construction bid in August 2023, will own and operate the venue for 30 years under a Public-Private Partnership.
A Design Inspired by Shiva
Because the venue sits in the holy city of Varanasi, its architecture draws heavily on imagery associated with Lord Shiva. The stadium features trident-shaped floodlights, crescent-shaped roof covers, ghat-step-style seating arrangements reminiscent of Varanasi’s riverside steps, Bilva-patra (wood apple leaf) shaped metallic sheets on the facade, and a media center designed in the shape of a Damaru.
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The venue will seat 30,000 spectators, expandable up to 40,000, and will include nine practice wickets on the main ground, an advanced drainage system, one outdoor practice ground, ample parking, and a VVIP/VIP zone on the second floor of the south pavilion.
From Foundation Stone to Fifth UP Venue
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the stadium’s foundation stone on September 23, 2023, in a star-studded ceremony attended by cricket veterans including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Dilip Vengsarkar, alongside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior BCCI officials Roger Binny, Rajeev Shukla and Jay Shah.
The Uttar Pradesh government acquired 30 acres of land beside Ring Road Phase-2 in the Rajatalab area at a cost of ₹121 crore, with construction costs estimated at ₹330 crore. Once completed, it will become the fifth international cricket stadium in Uttar Pradesh, joining Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, the Greater Noida stadium, and Saifai International Cricket Stadium in Etawah, and will serve as home to both the Kashi Rudras UP T20 League team and host matches for the Indian national cricket team.
Source: www.sportscapemagazine.com
