IPL is on with revised schedule, says Modi

There was an element of inevitability to the Indian Premier League (IPL) issue. A postponement of its Season II was in nobody’s interest. Not certainly in P Chidambaram’s, whose statement — that the IPL has to be put off in view of the General Elections — a couple of days back had sent the media and the country into a tizzy. It required the Home Minister himself to set things back in place.

“We will extend all possible help to the IPL. They will have to make adjustments with the dates,” Chidambaram said in Hyderabad, adding a much-needed clarification: “The country is safe for cricket.” The country’s Home Minister could not have sent a message to the world that the game is not safe in India.

Once Chidambaram gave the green signal, Lalit Modi was back on stage to make things clearer. The league, he said, would go ahead but with a slight change in the schedule, dates and venues.

The inauguration will be in Mumbai and not, as planned, in Jaipur, on April 10. The final, of course, as planned before, will stay in Mumbai. There could be one or two new venues apart from existing ones — Kolkata, Mohali, New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad besides Jaipur and Mumbai.

Visakhapatnam may be added to the list of eight original venues as the Deccan Charges want to host a couple of matches in Andhra Pradesh.

Ahmedabad is certain to be added to the list. The Motera might get to host a few matches of the Rajasthan Royals. The other one could be Nagpur. The Vidarbha city is yet to have lights although the officials of the local association, which is headed by BCCI president Shashank Manohar, have claimed that the lighting of the stadium will be complete by this month-end. Manohar himself could not reached for a confirmation.

However, chances of Cuttack, Indore, Rajkot and Baroda, as being speculated in the media, are non-existent.

The revised schedule is being worked out by the IPL Governing Council. At this stage, the council is in discussions with respective state associations, state police departments and state election commissioners. “We are in touch with all states and will shortly have a new schedule out. We are working on it. It’s a cumbersome process,” Modi said at the Cricket Centre, welcoming the Home Minister’s assurance.

He also dismissed the talk of the tournament being staged in another country. “Let me assure fans and sponsors that the IPL is on and there is no question of it moving to another country.” Among the measures planned by the IPL board is to not have a match on May 16 which is the election counting day.