Visakhapatnam gears up for IPL playoffs as cricket fever grips the city

The towering sixes, the tumbling wickets, the rapturous crowds and all the razzmatazz of a blockbuster T20 clash are set to take centre stage in the city. With the ACA-VDCA stadium in the city gearing up to host the playoffs of the ongoing IPL season, the frenzy among the fans, in Visakhapatnam, has been touching a new high.

As reported earlier, the city of Visakhapatnam will be playing host to the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 of IPL 2019 on 8 May and 10 May respectively. And with less than a week to go before the players set foot in the city, the concerned officials have upped the ante in making arrangements at the stadium. From placing the logos of the franchises to adorning the lawns with catchy images, the officials, reportedly, have been leaving no stone unturned in painting the stadium with all the right hues. Arranging dugouts for the players, setting up decks for cheerleaders and equipping sound systems across the stands are some of the other efforts that are being made for the IPL games in Visakhapatnam.

On the other hand, the ground staff too, have been working hard to produce high-scoring contests at the venue. Apart from curating the pitches as batsman-friendly ones, the personnel has also been working on the outfield to assist some high-voltage encounters.

It may be noted that Vizag last hosted an IPL game in 2016 when the Rising Pune Super Giants took on the Kings XI Punjab. The game holds special memories for the fans as they witnessed MS Dhoni maul Axar Patel in the final over to seize an unlikely win for his team. This year too, with the Chennai Super Kings already qualifying for the playoffs, the fans hope to see their favourite “Thala” in action yet again.