PCA Stadium in Mohali getting ignored for 2023 ODI World Cup causes massive uproar, BCCI accused of playing politics

It is worth mentioning that the PCA Stadium in Mohali has a seating capacity of 30-40K and it is believed the BCCI wants venues that can host large numbers of fans for revenue purposes.

PCA Stadium in Mohali getting ignored for 2023 ODI World Cup causes massive uproar, BCCI accused of playing politics

PCA Stadium in Mohali hosted 2011 World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan (Image via ESPNCricinfo)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the full-fledged schedule for the 2023 ODI World Cup on 27 June. The tournament will be hosted across ten venues in India. These venues include the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Eden Gardens, and the world’s largest stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium. However, Mohali’s Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium missed out on getting even one match.

The venue that has a rich history- having hosted the 2011 World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan and also many big matches was ignored by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and this clearly has not sat well. The fans as well as the PCA have raised questions. 

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Punjab Sports Minister, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer accused the Indian cricket board of being biased and playing politics. “The exclusion of Punjab’s Mohali from the list of host cities for the tournament was due to political interference. Punjab government will raise this issue with BCCI,” said Gurmeet Singh on Tuesday.

Other political leaders have also raised their concerns about this issue saying BCCI is biased towards the state. However, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla claimed that the PCA Stadium did not meet the standard to host a World Cup game. 

Also Read: Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium to undergo renovation ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup

Fans condemn Mohali’s exclusion from World Cup venues

pca stadium mohali
PCA Stadium Mohali (Image via Cricket365)

Fans also took up this issue on social media, condemning the move by BCCI. 

Check out the reactions.

It is worth mentioning that the PCA Stadium in Mohali has a seating capacity of 30-40K and it is believed the BCCI wants venues that can host large numbers of fans for revenue purposes.

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