Relieved Gambhir sings KSCA paean

The heavy downpour here on Wednesday almost knocked Kolkata Knight Riders out of the tournament. If not for the SubAir system at the M Chinnaswamy stadium — which made the ground ready for play within minutes after the rain stopped — the match would have been abandoned, ending Kolkata’s campaign.

The Knight Riders eventually prevailed over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator by seven wickets via the Duckworth/Lewis method. A delighted Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir thanked and appreciated the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for installing the technology.

“Big thanks to KSCA for revamping their drainage system and flushing @KKRiders out of the troubled waters…well literally @IPL@BCCI,” the opening batsmen tweeted.

Valued at Rs 3 crore, subsurface aeration and vaccum-powered drainage system, which helps in quick removal of water when compared to other technologies, was installed in January this year. The water removed during rain is stored and recycled.  

“This was the first time we were able to test the system and we are extremely happy that we were successful,” said KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya on Thursday.

“We drained two lakh litres of water yesterday. The system is designed for heavy downpour. When it was raining, there was a lot of water on the covers but the outfield was clear due to the system. It sucked out the water in no time and when play resumed there was no dampness and no wetness,” he said.

Impressed with the facility, many associations across the country are considering to follow KSCA suit. “Now, other associations are showing interest. We received many congratulatory calls from many associations and they were curious to know about the system. The IPL top-brass were here so I am sure they will speak to the other associations.

“At the end of the day, we were able to satisfy everyone. The sponsors and the stakeholders are happy. Many officials called us and congratulated us” said Vinay. Fans who weren’t denied a game due to the rain took to social media applaud KSCA’s facility.

“On our KSCA Facebook page, we have received 12000 likes and it is momentous for us,” Vinay said.