Meghalaya's MCA Ground earns top BCCI praise ahead of Ranji clash

The MCA Ground in Polo, Shillong, has received high praise from BCCI officials for its pitch quality as it prepares to host the Ranji Trophy match between Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir starting Wednesday.

BCCI neutral curators and match officials have ranked the ground's nine pitches among India's top eight cricket surfaces, a significant achievement considering Shillong's challenging high-altitude conditions and limited sunshine hours.

"Maintaining optimal wickets that serve both batsmen and bowlers fairly is particularly challenging when temperatures drop to single digits," said MCA President Nababrata Bhattacharjee. He credited BCCI-qualified curator Peter J Lamare and chief groundsman Pobitro Rabha for their months of dedicated work.

The home team enters the match seeking their first win after three losses, though their batting showed promise in their last outing with a 461-run total across two innings. Their opponents, Jammu & Kashmir, arrive with momentum after defeating Services by an innings and 25 runs in Srinagar.

The Elite Group A fixture will welcome spectators with free entry to the stands.