The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) is in talks with Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU) to use the university’s newly developed stadium as a temporary base for trials, camps and practise, even as its own cricket centre in Unnao struggles to take off.
The need has become urgent. UPCA’s decades-long association with Kamla Club is nearing end, the lease not having been renewed, and the proposed redevelopment of Green Park could disrupt cricket at the city’s main stadium for two to three years.
UPCA officials are in touch with the university administration, and an MoU is expected to be signed. The association has put two options on the table.
Under the first, it will pay ₹50,000 a month, maintain the entire stadium and provide a permanent coach who will also train university cricketers.
Under the second, it will pay ₹1.50 lakh a month and provide one coach and a 100-bed hostel, while the university will be responsible for the maintenance of the ground.
Sources said that the university leans towards the first proposal but wants a higher amount. The agreement will initially run for one year and, if both sides agree, could be extended up to 10 years.
{{/usCountry}}Sources said that the university leans towards the first proposal but wants a higher amount. The agreement will initially run for one year and, if both sides agree, could be extended up to 10 years.
{{/usCountry}}The stadium appeals to UPCA because it has seven pitches made with red, black and Kalahandi soil, along with a drainage system. The ground was developed under the supervision of the late Shiv Kumar, UPCA’s former chief pitch curator.
UPCA sees the facility as more than a practice ground. It could serve as an additional cricket centre hosting domestic competitions and, if it meets BCCI requirements, could eventually be listed as a recognised venue. In the longer term, it could also stage tournaments such as the UP T20 League and the Kanpur Premier League (KPL).
Kamla Club, where trials, camps and practise were held for decades, is no longer available as UPCA’s lease has ended. Kamla Club has been a cricketing venue since 1928, integral to cricket in the state.
The ₹350-crore redevelopment of Green Park is expected to begin around February 2027 and could keep the stadium out of use for two to three years.
UPCA’s long-term answer is its own cricket centre at Murtazanagar in Unnao, where it owns about 13 hectares. The project, however, has not moved at the pace first envisaged. The association now expects the Unnao stadium to take several years to become fully operational, with the larger vision stretching to around a decade.
The Unnao centre is planned along the lines of a BCCI Centre of Excellence, with red and black-soil pitches, accommodation for about 150 players, specialist coaches and physiotherapists, and a rehabilitation centre for injured cricketers. The aim is to give players a place to prepare for domestic, national and international cricket.
Kanpur’s cricket infrastructure is thus entering a transitional phase, and the CSJMU stadium could bridge the gap in the meantime.
UP T20 League chairman Dr Sanjay Kapoor confirmed that talks were on. University vice-chancellor Dr Vinay Pathak said matters were headed towards being finalised. The university’s sports directorate is handling the negotiations.
Sports director Dr Sravan Yadav said a few issues still needed to be ironed out. “We have sent a revised agreement to UPCA, and it will be discussed at the next meeting,” he said.