Kotla has upped the game, says Jaitley

As you go past the tall gates adorning the murals of Virender Sehwag and Anjum Chopra to enter the Arun Jaitley Stadium through Gate No. 5, the impression of finishing touches being applied for a major event is apparent.

- Vivek Krishnan

The smell of fresh paint, the sound of drilling machines and the sight of mostly middle-aged men dutifully going about their labourintensive task will greet visitors for the next few days before the tone of bat hitting ball and the deafening roar of about 35,000 fans take over.

The 13th edition of the ODI World Cup is almost upon us and the stadium, located in the heart of the national capital, is currently in the home stretch of the renovation work that began just over a month ago.

Delhi will host five games during the World Cup, including India's second game against Afghanistan on October 11. Its first game will see South Africa facing Sri Lanka on October 7.

The other games are England vs Afghanistan on October 15, Australia vs Netherlands on October 25 and Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka on November 6.

For the officials of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), the focus is on enhancing the spectator experience in accordance with the guidelines of the BCCI.