Three closed stands de-sealed and opened at the MA Chidambaram Stadium

The three stands – I, J, and K –  at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai have been finally de-sealed and opened on Friday (March 13). The stadium is the home of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. Those three stands wore a deserted look as fans were not allowed to seat there in the last few years. The three stands that have a combined capacity of over 12,000 but were closed for the last eight years.

As a result, the famous stadium missed out on the opportunity to host matches at various events including the T20 World Cup in 2016 and the IPL final earlier this year. An exception was made when the stands were opened for an ODI between India and Pakistan in 2012. The stands were closed after the Chennai corporation had said the setback space between them and the Madras Cricket Club was insufficient.

Subsequently, the Madras Cricket Club agreed to demolish its gym to create the required space, but it didn’t work out as the ground’s lease to Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and MCC had ended in 2015. Late last year, the TNCA got possession of the ground as it had entered into a new lease agreement for 21 years with the state government.

Chennai Super Kings’ training camp called off due to Coronavirus

The fans will have to wait a bit longer to experience watching a game from I,J, and K stands at the M A Chidambaram Stadium as the IPL has been suspended till April 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The thirteenth edition of the league was set to get underway on March 29 in Mumbai. But in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the BCCI decided to suspend the league till April 15.

Not only that, but Chennai Super Kings’ training camp at the stadium has also been called off due to the outbreak. Big names like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla and Kedar Jadhav were part of the camp.

“Chennai Super Kings practice sessions at M A Chidambaram stadium stands suspended from March 14, considering the present COVID-19 situation,” TNCA secretary R S Ramasaamy said.

Meanwhile, the ODI series between India and South Africa has also been called off. The first game of the series was washed out without a ball being bowled while Lucknow and Kolkata were scheduled to host the other two games.