Saurashtra vs Railways: Vizag railway stadium hosting Ranji match after two decades

The Waltair Railway Cricket Stadium in Vizag is hosting a Ranji Trophy match after a gap of 22 years. Indian Railways and Saurashtra teams are set to compete in the Elite group (A) Ranji Trophy match at the stadium starting today, 17 December 2019. The last Ranji Trophy the stadium hosted was back in 1997 between the Andhra and Goa teams.

International players Jaydev Unadkat, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Karn Sharma are among those who’ll be playing the match in Vizag. While the Saurashtra team is being led by pacer Jaydev Unadkat, Railways is taking the field with Karn Sharma at the helm. The toss has been won by Saurashtra and the team from the West has opted to bat first.

In December last year, the Railway Stadium underwent major renovations. Extended boundaries, installation of underground sprinklers, subsurface ground drainage and modern grassing facilities are among on the additions to take place at the Railway Stadium. Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association (VDCA) and Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) technical personnel developed the pitch and outfield. Pavilions were modified with AC Seating, Masseur tables, WiFi and VIP Lounges. An air-conditioned sports dormitory, weightlifting hall and gym had also been developed in the cricket stadium.

The Waltair Railway Cricket Stadium has a significant history as it was the first ground to host a Ranji Trophy match back in 1964. The match was played between Andhra and Hyderabad teams. At the time, the Hyderabad team had star players like Abbas Ali Baig, M.L. Jaisimha and Abid Ali.