TNCA reclaim possession of M A Chidambaram Stadium as stands set to open for Windies game
Sources have confirmed that the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) will get possession of the M A Chidambaram stadium as it has entered into a new lease agreement with the state government. The TNCA hopes to have the venue up and running before the India-West Indies ODI on December 15.
Three stands — with a combined capacity of over 12,000 — have been closed for the last eight years owing to issues with the City Corporation, who claimed that there was insufficient setback space between them and the Madras Cricket Club (MCC). Though MCC had agreed to a proposal to demolish its gym to meet the required space criteria, it could not be done as the ground's lease to TNCA and MCC had ended in 2015. This decision deprived the city the opportunity to host matches during various major events over the years, including the World T20 in 2016 and the IPL final earlier this year.
According to PTI, the new lease agreement was handed over to TNCA on Thursday. With the renewal of the lease for a period of 21 years, the TNCA can now approach the Madras High Court, before setting in motion the process for the work to pave the way for reopening of the closed stands in due course. In case of any delay in making the stands operational for the coming India-West Indies ODI, sources added that the association would be ready for next year's IPL.