Madan Lal: Sports infrastructure great in Noida, want to bring IPL here

Throughout his cricketing career as a player and as a coach, Madan Lal has always been associated with Delhi. He played most of his domestic cricket for Delhi, and later went on to coach a Delhi team before setting up a cricket academy at Siri Fort Sports Complex. However, despite his love for the capital, Noida is the city Lal calls home. The Sector 26 resident says, “I moved to Noida about 10-12 years ago, and I have no regrets about moving here from Delhi.Ab toh yahi mera sheher hai. Noida has the best schools, best colleges, best hospitals and one of the best cricket stadiums. The sports infrastructure is great here, which matters to a sportsman like me.”
Another reason why the former cricketer loves Noida is because the city allows him to explore his new sporting passion – golf. Lal is a member of a golf club in Greater Noida, and says he makes it a point to play there every Sunday. All praise for the golfing facilities in the city, he tells us, “It’s one of the best courses in all of NCR. The infrastructure is much better here.”
Lal is also acting as a consultant for a new cricket stadium that’s coming up in Sector 21. The former Indian national coach believes that the new stadium will help bring IPL and international cricket to Noida soon. “It will be one of the best stadiums in the country when ready – a grand 30,000-seater, complete with every international facility. I’m going to get IPL here. The only thing is that we have to be ready and not in a rush,” he says. Talking about why Noida is perfect for hosting big cricket matches, he says, “There’s no reason why Noida should not host international cricket or the IPL. And I’m talking about proper Noida, not Greater Noida, which has hosted a few in the past. Look at Noida’s surroundings – you have Delhi 10km from here, Indirapuram is adjacent to Sector 62 and Greater Noida is connected through the Expressway too. So it’s in the centre of so many urban centres – that will definitely draw crowds.”