Dharamsala’s picturesque HPCA Stadium to host IND vs NZ clash on October 22.
There is sleepy air get ready to take on India vs NewZealand Cricket Contest in dharmsala.
The moment you set foot in Dharamsala, stadium, match and cricket are the three things on everyone’s mind. From the taxi driver checking for a drop to the picturesque venue to numerous enthusiasts still searching for tickets, the buzz in the sleepy city of Himachal Pradesh is right up there. Better known for its famous trek to the Triund base camp, being home to Dalai Lama and a getaway for those looking to escape the city life, cricket is now attracting thousands to the region.
Drive from the Kangra airport to Dharamsala is full of sharp turns and has plenty of welcome billboards featuring Anurag Thakur, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports of India, and Arun Dhumal, chairman of the IPL Governing Council.
Billboards outside the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.As you get closer to the city and the stadium, the billboards only increase. Few more kilometres and there it is. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium.
You would have heard about it before, seen it often in pictures or during live broadcast but it’s nowhere close to what the venue is from up close. The mighty Dhauladhar range in the backdrop makes it look a wee bit tiny but enhances the beauty and makes the venue look like a work of art. Fresh batch of snow on the mountains and dense cloud cover around them makes the natural landscape around the stadium more magical.
The picturesque HPCA Stadium will host the IND vs NZ World Cup game.The setting intensifies when clouds and snow play hide & seek and keep applying different brush strokes to this absolutely beautiful natural canvas.
Cricket provides hope
Cricket also provides an opportunity to the region which lost out on a lot of tourism due to the incessant rains before the World Cup. While other regions of Himachal Pradesh witnessed a lot of landslides and damage, it wasn’t that bad in Dharamsala but the rains meant not many took the trip to this little city. From hotels to BnB lodges to taxi drivers, everyone was mostly without work during the months they otherwise experience heavy footfall.
