Decision today on future of Maharashtra-based IPL games

Mumbai: The Indian cricket board is scheduled to announce the alternate venues for Maharashtra-based IPL games today. As per the IPL 2016 schedule, 20 games are to take place in Maharashtra.

While Bombay High Court gave a go ahead for the opening game between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants, the decision is awaited on the future of 19 remaining games in the state.

Read: Bombay High Court raps Maharashtra, doesn’t pour water on IPL tie

Although no BCCI official has come on board, it is reported that Ranchi, Chennai, Cuttack, Kochi, Kanpur are some of the options to host IPL games. Also venues like Raipur, where only two matches are to be held can be requested to arrange a few more games.

The Bombay HC in last week had rapped BCCI and cricket associations in the state over water shortage saying IPL matches should be shifted elsewhere where there is no water crisis.

Read: OK if IPL is shifted from Maharashtra this season, says CM

The PIL has challenged the use of nearly 60 lakh litres of water to maintain pitches at three stadiums in the state which will hold IPL matches.

The high court, while posting the PIL for hearing, had sought responses from all other respondents, including the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Vidarbha Cricket Association, Maharashtra government and the civic bodies of Mumbai and Nagpur.

Read: KXIP to shift 3 games out of drought-hit Maharashtra?

The Maharashtra government today will file a report on the source of water to tankers, which supply water to stadiums.

The Bombay High court said a decision would be taken on whether to permit IPL matches in Maharashtra or transfer it somewhere else on the basis of that report.

Although he slammed BCCI and termed IPL as tamasha the Indian cricket board may have to consider former Sports Minister's suggestion to shift IPL games to other states from drought-hit Maharasthra.

Former Sports Minister MS Gill, in the last week, had come down heavily on IPL organisers. "The drought condition in Maharashtra is so severe that in a few days people in areas like Marathawada will not even have a glass of water to drink. As a former Sports Minister and ex-Agriculture Secretary, I know that several parts of Maharashtra are bone dry and I am amazed that in this situation the BCCI wants to hold these IPL matches," he told PTI.

Read: IPL a tamasha, says former Sports Minister MS Gill

"The BCCI should have some sanity in their thinking and they should shift these IPL matches out of Maharashtra,” he added.

Gill had also suggested alternate venues to hold the matches. He said, "They can hold these IPL matches in states like Haryana, Punjab or Uttar Pradesh where the problem of water scarcity is not that big an issue.'