World’s richest cricket board and league are trying to be sustainable and carbon-neutral in a cricket-crazy nation! Here’s how they plan to achieve it

• Estimates suggest that a cricket field requires 15,000-20,000 litres of water every day, which can meet the drinking water needs of around 2,600 people.
• In 2018, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed an agreement to implement the concept of ‘zero waste’.
• IPL franchises are also contributing their bit by raising awareness about climate change and planting trees to offset the carbon footprint.

Cricket is not just a sport in India; it’s a passion, an emotion, and often transcends into a religion! But like any other human activity, the larger the scale, the larger its ecological footprint.

Estimates suggest that water needed to maintain a cricket pitch – at roughly 20,000 litres per day – can serve the daily drinking water needs of around 2,600 people. So, the board that controls cricket in India and its most-popular league are looking at ways to reverse some environmental impacts associated with the country's most loved sport.

Carbon-neutral IPL match

At least two teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have taken it upon themselves to raise awareness around climate change and do their bit. On May 9, 2022, Rajasthan Royals joined hands with the energy management and automation firm Schneider Electric to host the first carbon-neutral cricket match against Delhi Capitals on May 11.

As per estimates released in the statement, a single IPL match emits approximately 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. To balance this, Schneider will plant around 17,000 trees as a part of their ‘Green Yodha’ campaign.

"Our aim through this extraordinary association is to educate our fans around the globe about environmental issues while also encouraging them to be climate-conscious. While this tree plantation drive is just the start, our far-reaching aim is to constantly help support our friends at Schneider by finding ways to create a sustainable future for the society using cricket as the vehicle," Rajasthan Royals chairperson Ranjit Barthakur said in a statement.

Royal Challengers Bangalore players don green jerseys

In line with its commitment to educate people about climate change, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) players also wore green jerseys against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Wankhede Stadium on May 8, as part of their ‘Go Green’ initiative.

RCB had first donned this green jersey in the 2011 edition of IPL in the match against Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

"Let us all continue to try and play a small part in building towards a great future for environment-friendly measures that can help make this world a much better place to live in for the coming generations,” said RCB all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

Mumbai Indians players voice their concerns

Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma is known for being vocal about many environmental issues both off and on the field. In a match against RR, he was seen wearing a pair of sporting shoes saying ‘End Plastic Waste’ depicted by a picture of a turtle swimming in the ocean.

Last year too, Sharma wore another pair of sporting shoes saying ‘Save the Rhinos’ and ‘Plastic Free Ocean’ in two different matches.

Other MI players like Sachin Tendulkar and all-rounder Hardik Pandya have also spoken about protecting the environment through their social media handles.

BCCI joins hands with UNEP to handle stadium waste

In 2018, the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also signed an agreement to implement the concept of ‘zero waste’ or ‘green protocol’ to reduce the wastage from cricket stadiums, which end up in landfills.

According to media reports, on average, about 3-4.5 tonnes of waste is generated during matches in the form of plastic bottles, disposables, caps, posters, and placards. The agreement focused on making the matches more environmentally friendly with zero wastage post matches.

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