48 groundsmen to be rewarded ₹1 lakh each by the MCA for exemplary work during IPL 2022 

A total of 48 groundsmen are set to be awarded ₹1 lakh each by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for their work over the course of the hectic Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign. Maharashtra successfully hosted the league stage of the tournament spanning 70 matches across four venues.

Out of those four venues, Mumbai played host to three, namely the Wankhede Stadium, the Brabourne Stadium and the DY Patil Stadium. Surfaces at the MCA-BKC was also regularly used as a practice avenue for franchises.

With the IPL being confined to a limited set of venues in recent times, cases of pitches deteriorating have proven to be a real concern. However, the zesty nature of the red soil Maharashtra pitches along with the constant hard work by the groundsmen that went into preparing them resulted in a healthy trend of good matches.

The pitches displayed even bounce and good consistency throughout the tournament. While Dew initially played a huge role, its impact was subsided with the help of an agri-spray, which was sprayed on the outfield by the groundsmen.

Several of the workers had pulled overnight shifts in order to prepare practice and match pitches. The Mumbai cricketing governing body was also delighted with the fact that the entire tournament was conducted smoothly without a single complaint about the pitches. The MCA felt the groundsmen should be rewarded for their efforts.

The BCCI announced a reward of 1.25 crore for the curators after IPL 2022

Apart from the MCA, the BCCI also noted the work of the curators involved in the smooth conduct of the IPL. Secretary Jay Shah announced a reward of ₹1.25 crore with ₹25 lakh each for the venues in Maharashtra. Kolkata and Ahmedabad, which played host to the playoffs and the finals, were allocated ₹12.5 lakh each.

“We’ve witnessed some high octane games and I would like (to) thank each one of them for their hard work. 25 lacs each for CCI, Wankhede, DY Patil and MCA, Pune. 12.5 lacs each for Eden and Narendra Modi stadium.”

Despite the success of IPL 2022 in terms of match intensity and the involvement of the crowd, the BCCI are desperately looking to bring back the home-and-away format from the next edition.

The old format will relieve some stress off the groundsmen who would not have to prepare and maintain the pitch and outfield to host a contest on a daily basis.