ODI World Cup 2023: Eden Gardens all set to host marquee event following last minute renovations

The fever of cricket is at its peak, the ODI World Cup 2023 is well underway, and with the tournament going through different parts of India, it seems like the time for the Eden Gardens in Kolkata has finally come. The first game at the stadium will be held on October 28, when Bangladesh take on the Netherlands; however, ahead of hosting the matches, the stadium has undergone major changes.

Furthermore, the Eden Gardens will also be hosting the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup 2023, and ahead of the much-awaited encounters, the clubhouse, conference room, dressing room, media centre, main hall, and historic photo gallery have undergone major changes and have gotten a brand new look.

In the gallery, there is a special wall that has been dedicated to the former players and umpires who are associated with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Moreover, there is a special wall dedicated to the former India skipper and BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly. Speaking of the same, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehasish Ganguly came forward to open up about the chance of hosting as many as five World Cup games in the stadium.

“It’s a great opportunity because the five matches of the WC, including the semi-final, will be hosted by Eden Gardens. I think this kind of opportunity comes once in a hundred years. Previously, we had two or three matches. This time we have got five important matches," Snehasish Ganguly was quoted as saying by The Print.

“We have Bangladesh and Pakistan because Bangladesh is a very good team in a 50-over format. We will be hosting England vs. Pakistan, which is great because England is the defending champions. So I think all the matches are high profile, and it is challenging,” he added.

We have been planning this for more than one year: Snehashish Ganguly

As part of the renovation for the ODI World Cup 2023, there are several walls that have different meanings. One of the walls features some of the most iconic moments that have taken place at the Eden Gardens, and talking of the same, Snehasish Ganguly stated that the renovation had been in the plans of the board for more than a year now.

“We have been planning this for more than one year. We worked really hard on the design. World Cup is an international event and everyone wants their stadium to look unique and different. Eden Garden is different because it’s a renowned stadium. Our corporate box in the stadium is one of the best in the country,” Ganguly said.