Criticism is mounting over the Congress Government’s plan to construct a cricket stadium spread across 100 acres in Bharat Future City in Southern Hyderabad (India) with several people questioning the need for such a massive facility.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
‘Telangana Today’ stated that the groundbreaking ceremony for the project is likely to be held in December. The proposed stadium is being planned with a seating capacity exceeding that of the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India) which can accommodate 1.32 lakh spectators and is currently India’s largest cricket venue.
The Bharat Future City (also called the ‘Fourth City’) is an ambitious 30,000-acre mega project in South Hyderabad, Telangana. Planned as India’s first net-zero greenfield Smart City the 765 sq. km development integrates the specialized economic clusters, the sustainable infrastructure and the walk-to-work residential layouts.
‘Telangana Today’ further stated that in August 2024, the Chief Minister of Telangana (State in Southern India) A Revanth Reddy had announced in the Assembly that a new cricket stadium would be constructed at Begarikancha (village in Telangana). He had said that initial discussions had been held with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Mumbai (India)-based the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of the sport of cricket in India. The BCCI is the wealthiest governing body of cricket in the world. It has a revenue of more than ₹9,700 crore (US$1.0 billion).
Largest Multipurpose Stadium
The Telangana Congress posted on X: “The largest multipurpose stadium is set to host cricket, football and the global concerts. The transportation facilities from the Rajiv Gandhi Airport, the proposed Regional Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road. Extremely convenient for international events.”
New Stadium Justification
Apart from the historic 30,000-capacity LB Stadium Hyderabad already has a cricket stadium at Uppal (neighborhood in Eastern Hyderabad, Telangana, India). The proposed new stadium is being justified on the grounds that the Uppal venue does not have the required seating capacity to host the major international events, particularly the World Cup matches.
Strong Criticism
However, the Congress Government’s plans have drawn strong criticism from different sections.
‘Terrible Idea’
The popular writer and orator Joy Bhattacharjya termed the proposal to construct another cricket stadium a “terrible idea” arguing that the existing stadium was more than adequate to meet the city’s cricketing needs.
He said constructing another massive cricket stadium in a city that already had a decent facility, only to host seven Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and an occasional international game every three years, would amount to a “criminal waste of money”.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league in India organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Founded in 2007, it features 10 city-based franchise teams. The IPL is widely regarded as the world’s most commercially successful cricket league. It is the 11th richest sporting league in the world by revenue. It is held annually between March and May.
Smaller Mixed-use Facilities
Bhattacharjya suggested on X, “Please make the smaller mixed-use facilities that support different sports, commercial activities and concerts and shows like the 55,865-capacity Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Or if you have to spend it on cricket you have 33 districts, many would love to have a decent cricket pitch.”
Government Programs
Interestingly, while the Congress Government claims to be according top priority to sports and the sports infrastructure the historic LB Stadium in the heart of the city of Hyderabad has increasingly been used for Government programs.
Dumping Yard
Another X user, @szlypx, said, “These people could have worked on the Rajendra Nagar dumping yard issue. They have a lot of issues they can fix, but no.. they want a cricket ground.. how dumb.”
Multipurpose Facility
The proposed stadium is being planned as a stadium-cum-multipurpose sporting and events space with facilities modeled on iconic venues such as the 31,100-capacity Lord’s in England (UK) and the leading stadiums in Australia. The seating capacity is expected to exceed one lakh and the proposed Hyderabad facility is expected to become one of the largest cricket stadiums in India.
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