Mulapadu ground staff ‘saves a day’ after Cyclone Arnab threatens Andhra vs. Chhattisgarh Ranji Trophy match

Knowing the Cyclone was coming, the staff covered the entire ground after the second day’s play, which later helped them clear excess water with two super soppers. | Photo Credit: K. V. S. Giri

Cyclone Arnab washed out the third day of the Ranji Trophy match between Andhra and Chhattisgarh at the DVR Ground in Mulapadu on Wednesday. Yet, less than 24 hours later, the ground was ready for play at the scheduled 9:30 a.m. start on the final day.

With heavy rain and strong winds lashing Andhra Pradesh, a delayed start seemed likely. Instead, ground staff efforts ensured the match resumed on time.

“Umpires were also shocked that the ground was ready to play,” PV Krishnarao, the venue’s administrative manager, told Sportstar.

Knowing the Cyclone was coming, the staff covered the entire ground after Tuesday’s play, which later helped them clear excess water with two super soppers.

“The staff came around 6 a.m. (on Thursday) and began working. It took them three hours to get everything ready,” Krishnarao said.

“Usually, the workers come around 8 a.m., but since the rain stopped yesterday evening, I asked them to come early in the morning to get the ground ready,” he added.

The 25-member ground staff, including three employees working in the administrative office, are mostly locals. | Photo Credit: K. V. S. Giri

The match was originally scheduled to be held at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur. However, a late change saw the venue shift to Mulapadu, which had already hosted two back-to-back matches in the first two rounds.

“The previous match (against Hyderabad) was till October 21, and I had given everyone a couple of days off. But I got a call that the match would happen here, so I immediately called them back,” Krishnarao said.

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The 25-member ground staff, including three employees working in the administrative office, are mostly locals. They report to work daily to maintain the ground, including cutting the grass and preparing the pitch.

“Since I called them back for this game, they will get a three-day holiday after this match,” the manager said.

Mulapadu last hosted a Ranji Trophy match in 2019, when Andhra took on Vidarbha. Since then, the ground has sporadically hosted a few age-group matches.

“They usually give games to other centres (in Andhra). Now I am expecting to get Ranji Trophy matches here regularly since we conducted three matches successfully,” Krishnarao concluded.