Kotla pitch on road to recovery

In only 16 days, high-voltage cricket will return to the Ferozeshah Kotla. The Delhi Daredevils, for whom the Kotla is home, will play the Mumbai Indians in their first match of IPL III, and clearly, they are taking no chances with the pitch, reports Heena Zuni Pandit.

In only 16 days, high-voltage cricket will return to the Ferozeshah Kotla. The Delhi Daredevils, for whom the Kotla is home, will play the Mumbai Indians in their first match of IPL III, and clearly, they are taking no chances with the pitch.

HT Image

Ahead of the IPL, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, chairman of the league's cricket committee, inspected the pitch on Sunday, in the presence of DDCA president Arun Jaitley and pitches and grounds committee chairman Venkat Sundaram.

“It's looking good, I am happy with the work Venkat has put in," said Pataudi.

“We will play practice matches here soon and only then we will be able to get a clear picture. Till now, it appears good to me."

Sundaram, who is overseeing the remedial work being done on the Kotla pitch, was confident that the IPL matches would be held successfully at the venue, at which international cricket was suspended for a year, after an ODI between India and Sri Lanka was abandoned on December 27.

“Two practice (on March 5th and 7th) matches will be held at the ground between a local team and the Daredevils to check the pitch and also give the players a feel of the conditions," said Amrit Mathur, COO of the Daredevils.