Thin crowd at Eden Gardens for KKR match

Kolkata, April 13 (IANS) After witnessing a near-packed house during home team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opening Indian Premier League game April 5, the roar at the Eden Gardens was missing as over half of the stadium was empty for the team's match against Rajasthan Royals Friday.

Barring a few, most of the stands in the stadium which has a capacity of holding more than 65,000 people, were sporadically filled, with officials putting the spectator count at around 30,000.

The stadium, known for its vociferous crowd, has been in the news for its low turnout during matches raising concerns among the Board of Control for Cricket in India mandarins and experts alike.

The meagre attendance during the India versus West Indies Test match last November made famed commentator and ex-England captain Tony Greig liken the iconic ground to a "morgue".

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly too had expressed his concern over the issue.