By IANS,
Hyderabad : Cricket lovers are expected to be treated to a feast as the floodlit Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here is all set to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between hosts Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils Tuesday.
Deccan Chargers led by the stylish V.V.S. Laxman take on Daredevils in the new avatar of the game in what promises to be a fantastic ambience under the lights at the 40,000-capacity stadium.
It will be wholesome entertainment for the fans. The cheerleaders will add more glitz and glamour.
With the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Shahid Afridi from Deccan Chargers and Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir from Daredevils in action, the fans can’t ask for more.
The stadium has so far hosted only two One-Day Internationals when India took on South Africa and Australia in 2005 and 2007 respectively. India lost on both encounters.
However, with the IPL rendering the national boundaries irrelevant, the fans are looking for an exciting stuff from some big guns of the world cricket.
As the local boys will also be in action, the hosts will get fan support at the stadium.
It will be interesting to see what strategy the Deccan Charges come up with after losing their opening game against Kolkatta Knight Riders Sunday.
The stadium, which claims to have the facilities on par with international cricket grounds, has added six towers with floodlights. This will be the first-ever match under floodlights.
Each tower has more than 70 bulbs and each bulb is of 200 watts. The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) claims that the lighting facility at the stadium is the first of its kind in the country.
“The venue is all set to host the seven IPL matches. The ambience will be fantastic. It will be as good as playing in the day time,” said HCA secretary N. Shivalal Yadav.
The HCA authorities have also arranged power back-up facility to prevent a blackout as it happened at Kolkatta Sunday, which led to the match being held up for 20 minutes.
It is not just the blackout but also a substandard pitch, which proved a dampener at Eden Garden. Shivlal Yadav promises that the pitch here would be a batting feast. Rickey Atkin, an Australian curator, has prepared the pitch.
For the first time, the spectators will also have medical facilities at their disposal.
Keeping in view the inconveniences caused to spectators in the past, the organisers will even be running a shuttle service between the parking place and the stadium for senior citizens and children.