IPL 2016: BCCI to meet three teams affected by High Court ruling on Friday

Speculations have been rife over the fate of the Maharashtra-based IPL franchises ever since the Bombay High Court directed the BCCI to shift all matches out of the state after 30th April. The worsening conditions of the drought which compelled the High Court to make such a move meant that 13 matches including the all important final could well have to be shifted away to alternate venues.

While the BCCI was keen to obtain a stay order from the Supreme Court, it was also considering a contingency plan in case the matches have to be shifted. The franchises had been kept in the dark till now regarding a change of venues and said that they were awaiting instructions from the BCCI.

In the latest series of developments on the issue, the BCCI has called a meeting between the IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla and the representatives of the three affected franchises. The Mumbai Indians, Rising Pune Supergiants and Kings XI Punjab will meet with Mr. Shukla on Friday evening to discuss potential alternate venues should those 13 matches be shifted.

The BCCI will meanwhile move the High Court again tomorrow seeking permission for the Rising Pune Supergiants to host the Mumbai Indians on its home turf as per schedule. It is understood that the BCCI will put forward the argument that it would be impossible for the RPSG to shift to a different venue within 24 hours as they host the Gujarat Lions on April 29.

BCCI has reportedly asked Pune to choose between Kanpur, Raipur, Gwalior and Visakhapatnam as its alternate home ground. The Eden Gardens is unlikely to be an alternate venue for the Pune franchise as KKR themselves will be playing six away matches in a row because of the West Bengal assembly elections starting from April 17.

Apart from deciding on alternate venues, the shifting away of those thirteen matches will be a huge logistical problem for the BCCI because of the change in hotel bookings and shifting of staff and equipment. The loss of revenue remains the biggest hurdle in this regard.

A Pune official earlier told the Hindustan Times: “There will be too many logistical hassles. There are lots of permissions needed. Ticketing has to be taken care of. The ground has to be available. Hotel bookings and travel plans have to be made for the teams. Our preparations have been on for two months.”

The BCCI had done all it could to prevent the shifting away of these matches including proposing the use of untreated sewage water for maintaining the pitches and the affected franchises having agreed to contribute Rs. 5 crore to the chief minister's drought relief fund. But all such proposals have not worked with the High Court having taken an unwavering stand on the matter so far.

Arguing that the matches should be shifted strictly on humanitarian grounds, the court had said: “We agree that merely shifting of IPL matches out of the state will not be a solution but this can be a beginning to address the drought situation in Maharashtra. Several people are dying because of water scarcity in the state. This court cannot ignore the plight of such people.”

A more detailed picture is likely to emerge from the high-profile meeting between the IPL chairman and the three affected franchises tomorrow. Bengaluru and Kolkata might be the biggest gainers if the playoffs and the final have to be shifted with the CAB already having expressed its interest in hosting the final at the Eden Gardens. The final was scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 29.