Hyderabad: With the 18th edition of TATA IPL-2025 Cricket matches that Hyderabad will be hosting, the city police are preparing the ground for an effective security, mob control plan and sketching out the movement of IPL teams. The matches will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal under Rachakonda police Commissionerate.

The IPL matches will be held on March 23, and 27, April 6, 12, 23, May 5 and 10 and playoffs on May 20 and 21. The stadium has a seating capacity of 39,000. In order to avoid any untoward incidents during the match days, a series of unprecedented measures were taken up at Uppal cricket stadium.

For safety and security of players and spectators, elaborate bandobust arrangements are being made in coordination with different wings. A total of 2,700 policepersons are deployed for bandobust including – security wing, traffic-300, law and order (1218), TSSP/AR force 12 platoons, Octopus 2 teams, Mounted Police-10, Vajra-10, and other wings likes SB, CCS staff, SOT, and 4 fire tenders with firefighting squad.

Rachakonda police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu said that the Gate No.1 is exclusively for players and VVIP’s, while others are not allowed. Spectators are allowed through gates as per their ticketing and evacuation plan is ready for any emergency situation.

A total of 450 CCTV cameras are being installed including at vehicle check points, parking places to cover the entire area of the stadium, enroute and parking areas. A joint command & control room is also established to monitor all the CCTV footage for taking immediate action, said the Commissioner.

The scanners installed at the stadium will allow police and other security personnel to detect explosives and other prohibited material inside the venue. The services of the bomb disposal team and sniffer dogs were pressed into services to ensure safety in the stadium and parking places.

Additional bandobust arrangements made in and around the stadium round the clock with octopus, NGS teams Mounted Police force are deployed at gate Nos-1, 3, 4, 7 & 8 for effective bandobust.

A separate SHE Teams/Anti-Eve-Teasing team has been established in order to control eve teasing. Gates will be opened, and spectators will be allowed into the stadium before three hours of the match schedule.

Uppal Cricket Stadium has a total of 13 outer gates, with exclusive bandobust arrangements made for these gates. Five patrolling teams have been deployed for crowd control and four fire engines will be kept ready for fire incidents if any.

The spectators are not allowed to carry the banned items such as – laptops, banners, water bottles, cameras, cigarettes, umbrellas, electronic items, matchboxes, lighters, sharp metal/plastic objects, binoculars, writing pens, batteries, helmets, perfumes, etc. Outside eatables are not allowed into the stadium.