Pitch overhaul in progress for NPL and U19 World Cup
Summary
Cricket Association of Nepal is overhauling pitches at Kirtipur and Mulpani ahead of the NPL third edition and the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. The renovation, estimated at Rs7 to 8 million, aims to create better surfaces after Kirtipur’s pitches repeatedly turned flat and slow.
Key Points
- CAN is rebuilding pitches at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur and at Upper and Lower Mulpani ahead of the NPL and the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
- Ground staff are stripping old soil, removing dead vegetation and planting fresh local grass, with eight pitches in Kirtipur, seven in Upper Mulpani and six in Lower Mulpani being constructed.
- Vice president Roshan Kumar Singh said the grass must root deeply to keep the wickets firm, but the short timeline and slower growth in Bhadra make full establishment unlikely.
- The overhaul is estimated to cost Rs7 to 8 million, with CAN funding the work upfront and expecting ICC reimbursement.
