UP's Ekana stadium renamed after late Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Lucknow: Just a day before hosting its first international cricket match, Ekana Cricket Stadium, is renamed as 'Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium'.

After 24 years, Lucknow is all set to host its first international match which will be played between India and West Indies, today on the grounds of Ekana.

It is to be mentioned that this is the second T20 match between India and West Indies of this series where India defeated West Indies by Five wickets.

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Newly built Ekana is the third largest stadium in India with seating capacity of 50000, spread over 71 acres land. Parking space for five thousand two-wheelers and one thousand cars. With excellent floodlights, media center and Pavilion it becomes an international stadium.

With the permission of UP Governor Ram Naik, it has been renamed to honor the former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who died on August 16, 2018.

It is to be mentioned that the state government could name a stadium. Therefore, after the agreement of Lucknow Development Authority with Ekana Sportz City Pvt. and GC Construction and Development Industries Pvt., the stadium situated in Gomti Nagar extension Sector 7 of Lucknow has been named after the former Prime Minister.

The UP government under Yogi Adityanath had been heavily criticised when it changed the names of Allahabad city and Mughalsarai station to Prayagraj and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Junction.

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