Fire Broke Out At Eden Gardens Amid ODI World Cup Preparations, Confirms Association President

The preparations for the ODI World Cup 2023 are going thick and heavy, with there being roughly two months' time before the mega event begins. Eden Gardens, one of the most iconic cricket venues in the world, witnessed a hurdle in its preparations for the tournament after a fire broke out on Thursday. The Cricket Association of Bengal president Snehashish Ganguly confirmed that such an incident did take place, although he was happy that no major damage was done and the situation came under control before things could go out of hand.

"A fire broke out last night at 11.50 pm. People who were working here saw smoke and then the fire. Immediately, two fire tenders were pressed into action and flames were doused in no time. There was no damage to the dressing room as such. Only some cables were burnt," Ganguly told reporters on Thursday

"Certainly there is no sabotage angle," he also added.

It was also reported that the groundstaff present saw smoke coming out of the away team's dressing room. The renovation work was going on right outside this dressing room. According to reports, smoke ensued from the false ceiling of the dressing room. Two fire engines arrived at the scene and the fire was extinguished.

The Eden Gardens is scheduled to host six matches during the World Cup, including the second semi-final on November 16.

India will play South Africa at Eden Gardens during a league phase match on November 5, while the first match at the venue will be held on October 31 when Pakistan take on Bangladesh.

The venue was inspected by the ICC and BCCI delegations last week, it is highly unlikely that the preparations for the World Cup will be affected by this fire.