Fire breaks out at Eden Gardens ahead of ODI World Cup preparations at venue

Ahead of the eagerly-anticipated 2023 ODI World Cup which is slated to begin on October 5 in India, fire broke out at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It is understood that the incident occurred on Wednesday night which led to the stadium’s management immediately informing the fire department after which the latter brought the situation under control.

As per reports, the fire likely got ignited due to a short circuit issue in the false ceiling of the dressing room. People working at the venue for the renovation were immediately alarmed by the issue, leading to the fire station deploying two engines to put out the flames. 

Debabrata Das, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) secretary, rushed to the venue to assess the situation and addressed that the matter will be investigated if any negligence from personnel played a role or not. Considering the grand scheme of things matters such as these do not bode well, especially with the ODI World Cup on the horizon.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) have expressed their satisfaction with the progress of the renovation work. In addition to this, another inspection is likely to take place next month due to the recent setback at Eden Gardens.

Eden Gardens to host five World Cup fixtures

It is worth mentioning that fans in the ‘city of joy’ will witness as many as five matches at the Eden Gardens which includes the high-voltage semi-final 2, slated to be played on Thursday, November 16. Apart from the knockout match, England-Pakistan and India-South Africa among others, are some of the games to be held at the iconic venue. 

Hosts India will kickstart their campaign against five-time winners Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8. Furthermore, the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash is among nine World Cup fixtures that have been rescheduled as per the latest update by the ICC. The extravagant ODI event will culminate in the final on Sunday, November 19, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.