Rajkot: The Indian Cricket Team will face England today at the Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium in the city. Team India, leading the 5-match series 2-0, will aim to clinch the series, while the English team will try to keep the tournament alive with a win at Khanderi Stadium.

In view of the match, heavy vehicles have been banned, and traffic diversions have been implemented on the Rajkot-Jamnagar highway from 4 PM to 1 AM.

Alternate Routes:

• Heavy vehicles coming from Ahmedabad will be able to go towards Jamnagar, Dhrul via Bedi Chowkdi, Morbi Road, Mitana/Tankara. However, they will not be able to come towards Madhapar Chowkdi from Bedi Chowkdi.
• Heavy vehicles, including trucks, tankers, trailers, etc., will not be allowed to proceed towards Jamnagar Road, Khandheri Stadium from Madhapar Chowkdi and Ghanteshwar T-point.

With thousands of spectators expected to attend the international match, the police department has made strict security arrangements. Private bouncers will also assist the police. The Rajkot Rural Police have made extensive preparations under the guidance of the District Police Chief. For security, 482 police personnel, including one Superintendent of Police, four DySPs, nine Police Inspectors, one Bomb Disposal Squad, and 400 private security personnel, will be deployed.

Additionally, two-wheeler drivers are reminded to wear helmets, but since helmets are not allowed inside the stadium, spectators arriving on two-wheelers are advised to securely lock their helmets to their vehicles.

The Niranjan Shah Stadium can accommodate over 28,000 cricket enthusiasts and has witnessed India winning three of the last five T20 matches played here.

Renowned for its batter-friendly pitch, the surface at the stadium offers good pace and bounce, making it ideal for playing shots on the rise. However, chasing on this ground can be challenging as conditions tend to change in the second innings. While the flat and hard pitch favors batters initially, teams batting second often face difficulties in the latter stages of the game.

With an average T20 international score of 189 at this venue, captains winning the toss are likely to opt for batting first to maximize the advantage of the favorable conditions for batters. DeshGujarat