Chennai Super Kings fans will be disappointed a lot as the team management has decided to cancel two of their two matches to be played at Chepauk on May 18 and May 22, following instructions from the Supreme Court. Both matches have been moved to captain MS Dhoni’s hometown of Ranchi.
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has been in a long drawn tussle with the CMDA, Chennai Corporation and PWD over the illegal construction and structural fitness of some of the stands at Chepauk. On Friday, the TNCA failed to defend itself against the CMDA contention that some of the stands were illegally constructed.
But Friday’s court order has not just shifted the two matches out of Chennai, it has also put in doubt the status of the Qualifier and Eliminator matches to be played on May 27 and May 28.
“Going by the court observation we are moving two matches to Ranchi. As far as the remaining two matches are concerned, the decision rests with the IPL Governing Council,” said a top official of the TNCA.
Apart from the court order, the TNCA has also had to tackle requests from pro-Tamil outfits that have approached the Chennai Police to not allow any IPL match on May 18 — the anniversary of the Mullivakkal Massacre in Eelam War IV. Incidentally, Royal Challengers Bangalore, who was scheduled to play on May 18 at Chepauk has Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan in their ranks.
Meanwhile, dismissing security factor as the reason behind the shifting of venue, a senior police official said the application for the Public Resort License (PRL) to conduct matches was being processed by the City Police. He refuted rumours that the matches were shifted because of the blasts on Kaziranga Express, which left one dead and 14 injured on May 1.