IPL 2017: Here's why the grass is green and dry at Chinnaswamy stadium

Super soppers are, for most part, a thing of the past now as far as the Chinnaswamy Stadium here is concerned; covers too are used minimally, with only the pitch area (along with practice pitches) being covered

A large screen display's the cancellation of the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad due to rains at The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Pic/AFP

Super soppers are, for most part, a thing of the past now as far as the Chinnaswamy Stadium here is concerned.

In fact, covers too are used minimally, with only the pitch area (along with the practice pitches) being covered. The bowlers' run-ups at either end are left uncovered, unlike before, and there is absolutely no need to cover any part of the outfield. And a game can start within 5-10 minutes from the time it stops raining.

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This was all evident as and when the rain relented enough last night around 7.15 pm for the pitch covers to be removed (that it rained soon after and the covers were put back on is a different story). The ground staff, who earlier used he super sopper to remove the surface water on the covers before removing them to ensure that nothing spilled onto the outfield, thus making it wetter, were seen simply dragging the covers away. And right in front of our eyes, any water that spilled, just disappear into the ground. Welcome to the latest in drainage systems, a first for a cricket stadium worldwide.

This January, the Karnataka State Cricket Association unveiled the subsurface aeration and vacuum powered system, and last night was its first live test. It worked like a dream and showed that the R4.25 crore or so spent was worth it.

The system facilitates the rapid drying of the ground and is designed to make sure no match is abandoned due to a wet outfield. Developed by California-based SubAir, and installed by Great Sports Infra, the system hastens the drying up process through vacuum modes, while the aeration ensures the grass is nourished.

The system sucks water out and blows air in to ensure water doesn't collect on and its evacuation is swift. The air sucked here is routed out of the stadium, while fresh air is brought in through the vacuum mode to provide oxygen to the grass. The water drained from the outfield is stored in a tank that can hold up to 1.5 lakh litres, and will be reused for the ground's maintenance.

Last night's RCB vs SRH IPL10 encounter was washed.

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