A fire broke out at Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens on Wednesday, August 9 amid the ongoing renovation work that is going on at the venue ahead of the ODI World Cup slated to start from October 5 in India.
One of the most iconic cricket stadiums in India, Eden Gardens, is undergoing a massive overhaul to be game ready ahead of the marquee 50-overs tournament. The renovation work is being carried out under the supervision of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) headed by Snehasish Ganguly (brother of former India skipper Sourav Ganguly). The news of the fire was immediately passed on to the fire department and they eventually doused it with the help of two engines. The incident didn't involve any casualty.
As per reports, the fire broke out in the false ceiling of the players' dressing room. The dressing room consisted of several pieces of playing equipment that got burnt due to the incident. Initially, it was believed that a short circuit in the dressing room caused the incident.
CAB is likely to launch an investigation to know the cause of the incident. With less than two months left before the commencement of the ODI World Cup, the renovation work is going full throttle at the iconic venue. Officials from the International Cricket Council (ICC) have already inspected the venue once and reportedly expressed satisfaction with the pace at which the renovation is being carried out. They are due to pay a visit again next month for another round of inspection.
Eden Gardens will play host to five fixtures during the World Cup. The first of those five will be contested between the Netherlands and Bangladesh on October 28. The second match at the venue will witness a contest between Pakistan and Bangladesh on October 31.
The stadium will also host an India game when the Men in Blue will take the field against South Africa on November 5. The fourth game at the Eden Gardens was originally scheduled for November 12 but has been changed to November 11 as per the revised schedule released by the ICC. The iconic ground will also host a semi-final clash on November 16.
