IPL gets go-ahead for Pune game on May 1

BCCI secures High Court permission citing time constraint and logistic issues

The Bombay High Court yesterday allowed Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to organise yet another Indian Premier League (IPL) match in the state. The BCCI yesterday moved High Court seeking permission to hold the game between Rising Pune Super Giants and Mumbai Indians in Pune on May 1.

Requesting permission from the High Court bench of Justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik to allow the match to be played at the pre-decided venue, BCCI counsel Rafique Dada said, “We can’t shift this one match and we have very little time to do so. Another match has been scheduled at the Pune stadium between Pune Super Giants and Gujarat Lions on April 29. Travelling for the players will get too hectic. They can travel only on April 30, as game on April 29 will be held in the night. And the next match is on May 1. Schedule was chalked out keeping in mind that the Pune team would be playing at home and won’t need to travel.”

The bench was also told that as per international standards, a minimum gap of two days is mandatory between two matches and so the entire timetable was planned accordingly. Also, changing the venue for the May 1 game would require shifting of equipment like camera, etc., which is a time consuming process.

Despite the petitioner’s lawyer Ankita Verna informing the court that water woes across the state have worsened, the bench allowed BCCI to hold the match in Pune and clarified that the following matches must be shifted outside the state.

Previous order
Last week, the same bench had stayed all the IPL matches to be held in Maharashtra after April 30. The order was issued after hearing a petition filed by Lok Satta movement, claiming that around 60,000 lakh litres of water was likely to be used to keep the cricket grounds green. The petition claimed that the amount of water used here would amount to a criminal waste in the wake of a drought in the state.

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