Cuttack: The Odisha Police has put in place elaborate security arrangements for the India–South Africa T20 International cricket match scheduled at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack December 9. To ensure the safety of players and spectators, over 70 platoons of police force will be deployed as part of the extensive security plan. The deployment will include nine Additional SPs, 40 DSPs, 65 Inspectors, 325 SIs, 38 Havildars/Constables, 208 APR Constables, and 73 women constables.
Officials said one ODRAF unit and two Special Tactical Unit (STU) teams will also be stationed for emergency response. Personnel will be responsible for stadium security, traffic regulation, and crowd management. Security arrangements will cover all points of player movement, including the airport, team hotel, stadium, and travel routes. DGP YB Khurania has directed officials to ensure foolproof measures throughout the event. The teams are scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar December 7 and will practise at Barabati Stadium December 8. Ticket sales will begin at 10 am Friday.
With strong public enthusiasm to watch the Indian players live, police anticipate heavy crowds at the counters and have planned special measures for crowd control and orderly ticket distribution. A coordination meeting led by Cuttack DCP Rishikesh Khilari was held Thursday at Barabati Stadium to review the arrangements, where officers were instructed to ensure a disciplined and incident-free event. Officials said police units will remain on high alert to prevent any untoward incident during the gathering of thousands of cricket fans.
