Good news to cricket buffs in two Telugu states – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has decided to allot two knockout games of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) in Visakahapatnam and the final to Hyderabad.
A decision to this effect was taken after the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has expressed its inability to get requisite permission from the state government to open three closed stands at Chepauk stadium.
The IPL final was actually scheduled to play on May 12 at Chennai had been shifted now to Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International stadium at Uppal.
However, the Chennai Super Kings still have to play Quarterfinal 1 at home turn if they finished among the top two teams in the league, but the Eliminator (May 8) and Qualifier 2 (May 10) has been shifted to Visakhaptnam.
Court appointed Chief of Committee of Administrators (CoA) Vinod Rai said; “We had to shift the matches after TNCA intimated us that they have not procured the permission to open the three stands – I, J and K.” The three stands make up for more than 1200 tickets and BCCI would have lost out on a few crores of gate money.
In fact, three stands have remained closed since 2012.
Since the gate sales of knockout matches is the prerogative, the CoA had to take a call, he added. He also said two knockout matches will be held at Visakhapatnam.
When asked if the entire knockout matches ticket sales are BCCI prerogative, why Q1 match was allotted to Chennai, Vinod Rai reasoned; “CSK by virtue of being defending champions, were allotted the Qualified 1 and final. Now if they finish in top two, you cannot take away all the games. They deserve to get at least one of the knockout games.”