IPL 2021: Abu Dhabi stadium records 95% attendance during eight matches in the second leg

The Indian Premier League 2021 is currently underway with only two games left to be played. But, there is one venue that is done hosting all its matches for this season and has given out official numbers which suggest how well the matches were hosted at that particular venue. The stadium in question is the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. 

The venue hosted the first match of the second leg between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. KKR had won the match by chasing RCB’s 92 runs in just 10 overs. In total, the venue hosted eight games. The last game which was played at the venue was the last league game for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

That had produced 428 runs in 40 overs, which is the highest aggregate in any game in the second leg in the UAE. The record for the second-highest aggregate is also held by Abu Dhabi. With the pitches slowing in Sharjah and Dubai, the wicket in Abu Dhabi has looked quite fresh for use and scoring big runs. 

Sanju Samson and Dinesh Karthik praise the facilities of the Abu Dhabi stadium

In a report on Gulf News, it was mentioned that Sanju Samson, the captain of Rajasthan Royals, praised the work of the ground staff at Abu Dhabi while also calling it one of the best in the tournament. With the IPL 2021 ending, the stadium will now gear up for the T20 World Cup 2021’s qualifying round. Abu Dhabi is hosting four games in that round along with 11 more games from the main round. 

According to the numbers in the same report, a total of 15,200 supporters watched the eight IPL matches which were played in Abu Dhabi. A capacity of only 2,000 per game was allowed for the games. This denotes that around 95 percent of the stadium was filled, considering the maximum capacity. 

Dinesh Karthik praised the facilities of the venue saying, “It is second to none in terms that there is the main ground, two smaller grounds and another ground where there are wickets and you can have a full run-up for the bowlers. I can definitely say it’s one of the best going around in the world.”