Ranji Trophy fixtures moved from Delhi's Karnail Singh Stadium due to dangerous nature of the pitch: Reports

There have been a few instances in the past when the scheduled games were forced to be moved to different venues due to the unfavourable nature of the wicket. Similarly, the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2022-23 fixtures have reportedly been shifted from the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi due to pitch trouble.

Giving further clarification on the same, one of the groundstaff members of that venue has said that a Ranji Trophy fixture between Railways and Punjab was played on a dangerous track. However, he informed that they have taken initiative of preparing couple of new tracks and were hopeful of matches taking place on those pitches.

The matches have been shifted from Karnail Singh Stadium: A source

“The matches have been shifted from Karnail Singh Stadium,” a source close to the development told News18 CricketNext.“The track was looking dangerous,” a ground staff on the condition of anonymity said. “We have prepared a different track and the other rounds can take place at the venue. Let’s see what happens,” he added.

Last week, the second day of the Ranji Trophy encounter between Punjab and Railways was forced to be called off after the wicket at the Karnail Singh Stadium was deemed as "unfit and dangerous for play". The game then had to be rescheduled.

Punjab refused to bat any further after being reduced to 18/4 and there were many complaints about the awkward uneven bounce that caused some unwanted trouble for the batters.

According to reports, five matches were originally scheduled to be held at the Delhi Stadium. However, taking the pitch woes of the first round into consideration, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to shift the second round fixtures to Indore. The report adds that no further games are expected to be played at the venue in this competition.

The Madhya Pradesh vs Railways clash that was supposed to be held at the Karnail Singh Stadium was moved to the Holkar Stadium in Indore by the national cricket board.