KCA all set to have own cricket stadium in capital city of Kerala

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is all set to have its first fully owned cricket stadium, which will be capable of hosting first-class matches. The KCA Cricket Ground is coming up at a 9.5-acre plot on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to inaugurate the stadium on June 14.

The KCA ground, which is located at Veiloor near Mangalpuram, has already started hosting inter-district matches in recent months. The stadium will be the third venue in the district that will be capable of hosting first-class matches; work has been completed at priority to get the ground ready to host matches as early as possible.

Vinod S Kumar, the secretary of the Thiruvananthapuram District Cricket Association, said, “Our priority was to get the ground ready to host matches at the earliest as we were forced to deal with fixture congestion due to lack of venues. We have completed the playing surface and the wickets to make the venue match ready.”

Facilities at the stadium

Although the ground will be hosting matches on a regular basis from next month, Vinod Kumar mentioned that further construction to increase facilities will continue. “Our plan is to have a pavilion, indoor cricket nets, gymnasium, and equipment store at the ground. We will invite tenders for this and hope to complete the work in 1-1.5 years,” he said.

The KCA has already shelled out Rs 4.25 crore at the venue, where construction work began in 2015. Moreover, the association is slated to spend another Rs 6 crore for its completion. The ground is also expected to have a gallery that can hold around 2000 spectators.

This stadium is larger in size than the stadiums at Wayanad, Perinthalmanna, and Thalassery. Furthermore, the KCA stadium will be able to host national-level matches including a tournament as big as the Ranji Trophy soon.

Earlier, the BCCI also confirmed the Greenfield Stadium’s status to hold international matches. The KCA have a MoU for hosting matches at the Greenfield International Stadium in Kariavattom till September 2027.