UPT20 League to return to Lucknow

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) is likely to shift the upcoming Uttar Pradesh T20 League from Green Park Stadium in Kanpur to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, barely weeks after announcing Kanpur as the host venue.The UPCA had, during a press conference in Kanpur on May 13, declared that the fourth edition of the league would be held at Green Park.However, the decision was reviewed following a technical assessment of the venue ahead of the tournament, scheduled to be held in Aug.UPCA sources claimed that the stadium’s ageing infrastructure, inadequate floodlighting, limited spectator capacity and concerns over rain-related disruptions have prompted the change of venue.“Since the conclusion of the India-Afghanistan international match, UPCA officials have been carrying out a comprehensive technical assessment of the playing conditions at Green Park Stadium in view of the proposed three-week-long tournament,” a source said.The assessment found that the existing floodlighting system falls short of the standards required for televised matches. “The broadcasting team requires a minimum illumination of 1,700 lux for high-quality telecast, whereas the existing floodlights at Green Park generate only around 1,400 lux,” he said.The association also cited a recent report by the public works department restricting the stadium’s spectator capacity to around 14,000, significantly lower than its earlier capacity, creating operational and commercial constraints for the organisers.Another major concern was the stadium’s vulnerability to waterlogging during the monsoon. Green Park has been struggling with inadequate drainage, resulting in delays in restoring playing conditions after heavy rain.With the tournament scheduled during the peak monsoon season and forecasts indicating prolonged rainfall in Aug, officials fear repeated interruptions over the three-week tournament.UPCA sources said the combination of technical, infrastructural and weather-related challenges left the organisers with little option but to relocate the tournament to Ekana Stadium, which offers superior drainage, modern floodlighting and significantly higher seating capacity.