Agartala: Clouds of uncertainty are hovering over the Tripura versus Mumbai Ranji trophy match slated to begin on October 26 next at MBB cricket stadium Agartala because of the inclement weather conditions induced by tropical cyclone ‘Dana’.
The star studded Mumbai team being led by noted Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has already landed in Agartala. Even the team also participated in the practice sessions on Thursday morning. But, in the afternoon weather conditions changed dramatically. It should be noted here that the first match of Tripura in the group stage was also called off by the umpires after the ground conditions were not found suitable for holding the match.
Later, Tripura clinched a massive victory over host Meghalaya in the second encounter of the elite group. Despite being a small North Eastern state Tripura over the years has significantly improved its performance in domestic cricket.
Tripura last year defeated defending champions Saurashtra by a margin of 148 runs. After the recent win against Meghalaya, Tripura under the captaincy of Mandeep Singh is high on confidence. But, it should also be noted here that Mumbai is considered to be one of the best squads of the domestic tournaments.
Several players in the team have either played for the national team or other noted cricket tournaments. However, the inclement weather conditions may play spoilsport. Soon after the practice session in the morning, the entire ground was put under cover. Tripura Cricket Association Secretary Subrata Dey along with other officials of the Association went on an inspection visit in the afternoon amid the rains.
Speaking to the media during his visit, Dey said, “We have undertaken multiple special efforts to ensure that the match could be successfully conducted here without any hurdles. Our ground staff had been working tirelessly throughout the day to ensure that the pitch and the ground remain suitable for the game.” Meanwhile, security arrangements have also been beefed up in view of the match. “There are star players in the Mumbai team who have played international cricket for team India. We have to be very cautious about the security arrangements,” a senior police official has said.
Additional SP West Tripura district also visited the ground for security inspection earlier. In a related development, Tripura Cricket Association has announced that no tickets will be required to enjoy the match starting on October 26.
Also Read | Tripura: Former CM links RSS with fake PRTC racket