Indian Premier League 2023 final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings got washed out yesterday without a single ball being bowled. However, thanks to a reserve day, both teams will go head-to-head against each other again tonight. When rain was pouring down yesterday, there were a lot of fans on social media who were asking for a cricket stadium covered with a retractable roof.

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We have seen rain interrupting some crucial games in the last few years. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-final between India and New Zealand was also affected by rain and India had lost the match on the reserve day. Cricket is one of those games that gets badly hampered due to inclement weather conditions.

A lot of new stadiums are being made with tons of facilities, but having a closed roof is one of those aspects that is not talked about much. The game is generating a high amount of revenue and, going forward, the authorities should look at making stadiums which consist of roofs.

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Is There Any Cricket Stadium Covered With Roof In India?

Unfortunately, there is no closed cricket stadium in India at the moment. Back in 2020, The Financial Express had reported that the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot will be the first stadium in the country to have a roof over it. Although, there is no information about the further progress of it.

Melbourne’s Docklands or Marvel Stadium is the only cricket stadium in the world to have a retractable dome over it, i.e., it can be closed and opened as per the requirement. When India and Pakistan played each other during ICC T20 World Cup 2022, a lot of fans demanded the match to be shifted from MCG to the Docklands because of a rain prediction.

Docklands Stadium is a multispeciality sporting venue used for games like Rugby, Cricket, Football, etc. It is the home ground of Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.

How Expensive Is A Roof Stadium?

An exact cost cannot be determined to make a covered stadium, but it is quite expensive. A lot of baseball teams in the USA have these facilities. Skydome in Toronto costs around $500 million, whereas Minute Maid Park in Houston cost around $333 million. This depends upon the size of the stadiums and other functional requirements.

BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is the wealthiest cricketing board in the world. According to ESPNCricinfo, the board will earn around $230 million per year between 2024-27 in ICC’s new finance model. Just by IPL media rights, BCCI earned INR 48,390 crore.

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According to CAKnowledge, BCCI’s net worth in 2023 is around $2 billion. With the kind of money BCCI is making, it is not entirely unfair on the part of fans to demand a stadium with a retractable roof for crunch matches.

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