Kanpur: Lights, camera, action… and the curtain is ready to rise on the first-ever cricket game to be played under lights at the Green Park stadium on May 19, drawing electrified responses from the excited local populace that is prepping for a “Diwali before Diwali” at the ’bijliwala’ (illuminated) stadium.
The stadium is lit by four tall towers of floodlights, with each tower equipped with 84 illuminators, generating a combined illumination of 2,400 lux – which is more than the ideal of 2,000 lux needed for matches being held in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The roads leading to the stadium are lined with makeshift vendors, and almost all of them are elated about the ‘bijliwala’’ stadium. Ram Singh, a road-side vendor who sells ‘samosas’ and ‘chole bhature’, wants to know whether playing matches under lights will be a regular feature from now.
Kanpurites are also enthused by Gujarat Lions, who have made Green Park their second home in the tournament, and will play two hivoltage matches in the city – the first against Kolkota Knight Riders (KKR) on May 19 and the second against Mumbai Indians on May 21.