A brand-new cricket stadium in Varanasi is set to be completed by 2026, just in time to possibly host matches for the T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka will co-host.
According to reports, the stadium will have a seating capacity of around 30,000, and construction is expected to wrap up by December 2025.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is confident that the stadium will be ready in time for the 2026 World Cup, with a BCCI official stating, "The stadium in Varanasi should be ready well before the T20 World Cup in India in 2026,” as reported by The Times of India.
Construction for the stadium, which is themed around Lord Shiva, began last year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, and Dilip Vengsarkar, were present at the ceremony.
PM Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, dedicated the stadium to 'Lord Mahadev'.
#WATCH | PM Modi lays the foundation stone of an international cricket stadium in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi pic.twitter.com/5sAh2wZ5eA
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023
Shiva stadium features
The Uttar Pradesh government has already allocated ₹121 crore for acquiring land, while the BCCI is set to contribute ₹330 crore for building the iconic structure.
Some cool features of the stadium include trident-shaped floodlights, a media center shaped like a drum, and a crescent moon-shaped roof, all of which tie into the Lord Shiva theme.
Once completed, this will be one of India’s most unique cricket stadiums, with the potential to host some major matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup.