Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, also called Kritipur Cricket Ground or TU Cricket Ground or just TU Ground, is a cricket ground located in Kirtipur, Nepal, which is part of Tribhuvan University. It is the home ground for the Nepal national cricket team.
The stadium can hold up to 20,000 people. Pavilion End and Chobhar End are the two ends of this stadium.
History:
According to former CAN president Binay Raj Pandey, the TU cricket ground was originally intended for football but took on its current form after Indian Zee TV visited Nepal in search of space to create a neutral venue for India-Pakistan matches.
“Normally held in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, the India-Pakistan Games arrived in 1992 in search of land in Nepal. First, in 1994, Tribhuvan University leased the land to the CAN for a period of five years. When construction began that same year, the venue was prepared to host the ACC Trophy in 1998. In collaboration with us, Zed TV provided the ground with its current layout and style’, stated Pandey, who served as CAN’s general secretary from 1995 to 2002.
“I believe that after the Maoist insurgency started in Nepal, they had second thoughts. They may have believed it to be dangerous,” Pandey, the 2005–2010 president of CAN, added.
Tundikhel was the only appropriate location to play cricket prior to TU Ground. In less than two years, we created two grounds—one at St. Xavier’s for the 1998 ACC Trophy and another at Pulchowk Engineering College, according to Pandey.
The budget to upgrade the TU ground to an international standard was approved at a Cabinet meeting that followed the team’s victory over the UAE last week. However, the project’s roadmap has not yet been decided upon.
“After Nepal defeated the UAE in the championship match, I spoke with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal about the issue. The National Sports Council member secretary Tanka Lal Ghising stated, “A Cabinet meeting has decided to allocate the necessary funds for upgrading the facilities at the TU grounds, which means it will get priority at the policy level and at the National Planning Commission.” We’ve already begun our investigation into the upgrade. It will be disclosed in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.”
Beginning of International Cricket Era in TU Ground:
When Bangladesh played Papua New Guinea in the 1998 ACC Trophy, it was the first match ever to be recorded as taking place on the ground.
Nepal participated in the first-ever Intercontinental Cup, which featured first-class competition. The ground hosted its inaugural first-class match between Malaysia and Nepal. When Nepal hosted Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for the 2005 Intercontinental Cup, two more first-class matches took place there.
These were Nepal’s first-ever first-class matches played anywhere. Since then, the venue has played host to several international events, such as the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship and the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five.
When a large number of spectators became upset with the performance of the Nepal team, they disrupted play, igniting controversy during a match between the United States and Nepal during the competition.
The International Cricket Council subsequently looked into the match because of the crowd disturbances and the net-run rate calculations that followed, which prevented Singapore from being promoted to the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Four.
Numerous spectators have attended the ground’s domestic cricket tournaments, including the Prime Minister One Day Cup and the Everest Premier League, with great success.
Renovations:
Following the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake, the fundamental ground infrastructure was destroyed. As a result, the CAN expanded its facilities and renovated its infrastructure, adding ground walls, a pavilion building, a media box, a view tower and a VIP seating area.
Major Sporting Events happened in this venue:
Diverse most important sports activities occasions associated with cricket that passed off over time. These events consist of nearby tournaments, international competitions, and leagues. Here’s a brief evaluation of each:
- 1998 ACC Trophy: The ACC Trophy was a cricket tournament for non-Test playing Asian countries
- 2005 Intercontinental Cup: The Intercontinental Cup was a pleasant cricket tournament for Associate and Affiliate individuals of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
- 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five: A part of the ICC World Cricket League, this department features groups from Associate and Affiliate participants competing in restrained-overs cricket.
- 2011 ACC Twenty20 Cup: A Twenty20 cricket tournament organized by way of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
- 2013 ACC Twenty20 Cup: Another version of the Twenty20 cricket match prepared by way of the ACC.
- 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship: A collection of cricket matches amongst Associate and Affiliate individuals of the ICC.
- 2016, 2017, 2018 Everest Premier League: A franchise-based T20 cricket league held in Nepal.
- Cricket at the 2019 South Asian Games – Men’s match: Cricket match held as a part of the South Asian Games.
- 2019-22 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2: A cricket event forming part of the qualification pathway to the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
- 2021–22 Nepal T20I Tri-Nation Series: A tri-state Twenty20 International cricket collection held in Nepal.
- 2023 Men’s Premier Cup: Presumably every other cricket match, possibly at a regional or national degree.
- 2023 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Regional Final: Part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualification method, in which teams from the Asia region compete.
TU Ground has hosted loads of cricket matches in exceptional formats. Here’s a breakdown of the matches hosted on the TU Ground in step with their codecs:
ODI (One Day International): 34 Matches
T20I (Twenty20 International): 34 Matches
WT20I (Women’s Twenty20 International): five Matches
Controversies:
A match that would have eliminated Singapore, the United States, or Nepal from the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Four caused controversy in this stadium.
The United States vs. Nepal crowd was not pleased with the performance of their home team, and they caused disturbances that resulted in Singapore’s elimination from the tournament based on net run rate.
5 Interesting Facts of TU Cricket Ground:
1. The cricket ground dates back twenty years. In 1998, Nepal joined the International Cricket Council as . an associate member. The Nepal Cricket Association was given the privilege of hosting the ACC Trophy in Kathmandu that same year. An agreement to develop the ground had been signed by CAN and Zed Sports, India two years prior.
2. Football was the original purpose of the pitch. TU and CAN came to a five-year ground lease agreement between 1996 and 1998. After Zed Sports began operations there, the site hosted the ACC Trophy in 1998.
3. Zee Sports purchased the broadcast rights for games held at TU Ground following the ACC trophy. It declared its interest in constructing a stadium as well.
4. Japan and Hong Kong played their first official match on October 5, 1998, on the ground. This was supposed to be the third match, but bad weather forced the cancellation of the PNG vs. Bangladesh (October 2) and the Nepal vs. Thailand (October 3) matches.
5. Zee Sports hosted the “Legend Cup” in Kathmandu in 2001. To play the match, players like Kapil Dev had travelled to the city. However, Zed Sports stopped covering Nepal in the months that followed the game, and it eventually merged with Ten Sports. It became disinterested in Nepal after gaining the rights to broadcast the World Cup in 2003.
CAN kept extending the lease term even after the stadium was never built. CAN and TU agreed to a 25-year lease in 2010 so that the association could use the field.
