Maharashtra police on Friday expressed reservations about holding the second edition of the Indian Premier League alongside the general elections, citing the state’s security constraints.

The state’s police chief said it won’t be possible to provide security for the event while elections were on.

“It’s not possible to provide security to IPL when elections are on, IPL will put a strain on our forces,” said the Maharashtra DGP.

The IPL is currently scheduled for April, its dates clashing with the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the country.

The DGP further said that the tournament should be held after the elections are over.

“IPL should be postponed till after elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, IPL sources told NDTV that the new schedule might be out by the weekend and some Maharashtra venues could be dropped.

On Thursday, Maharashtra and Karnataka sent their feedback to the Home Ministry on the new fixture giving a virtual go-ahead for the cash-rich Twenty20 event. Andhra Pradesh has also given its nod except for one match, official sources said. AP Police said they don’t have any problem in providing security cover to the Indian Premier League matches in Hyderabad from April 26 onwards.

Earlier, Union Home Minster P Chidambaram on Wednesday said a decision on the fate of the second edition of the Indian Premier League would be taken soon after the Ministry received feedback from the concerned state governments on the revised schedule.

Desperate to get the cash-rich league on track, the IPL’s top brass held a series of meetings since Monday and submitted a reworked schedule to the Home Ministry on Tuesday. The new schedule is said to have taken into account the reservations and security constraints of the states that are supposed to host the matches.
Source – cricket.ndtv.com

Dharmasala (PTI): Even as the fate of the Indian Premier League (IPL) hangs in balance, the picturesque cricket stadium of Dharmasala is bracing for its date with the second edition of the Twenty20 tournament scheduled to start next month.

With the IPL authorities dropping Delhi, Jaipur and Visakhapatnam from the fixture they submitted to the Home Ministry yesterday, Dharmasala is set to host a few matches provided the tournament gets the Centre’s nod.

Located 4000 feet above the sea level in the lap of the Himalayas, the stadium would prove to be a treat for the touring players, said Administrative manager of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, Sunil Chauhan.

“The stadium will provide ideal conditions for a great game of cricket and I am sure with its picturesque location, the players will have a nice time playing here,” Chauhan told PTI.

“We have hosted an international match between South Africa A and India A and many domestic tournaments but hosting the IPL matches will prove to a great boost for the stadium.

It will put Dharmasala into the world cricket map,” he added.

However, the stadium is not fully ready to host the high-profile tournament.

The Rs 35 crore project has spectators’ stands with around 19,000 capacity, separate corporates and media boxes in addition to the floodlights — some of which need that finishing touch but Chauhan remains confident that they would be able to meet the deadline.

“Hundreds of workers are working to complete the construction works. Floodlights are yet to be installed but we still have 40 days to go before we host the first match and I am confident the stadium will be ready within the time limit,” said Chauhan.

Asked about the security arrangements, Chauhan said, “The Himachal government has assured that security would not be a problem and they would deploy adequate security personnel for the event.”

Chauhan, who is also the pitch curator, said expecting the IPL matches, he was also working on the pitch.

“The pitch will assist both the bowlers and the batsmen. It will have bounce for the bowlers and will also be a treat to bat on,” he said.
hindu.com

Fast bowler S Sreesanth will miss the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) season two in April-May due to a stress fracture in his lower back, his IPL team Kings XI Punjab announced on Wednesday.

Sreesanth is currently in Sydney receiving treatment from the Kings XI Punjab physio Patrick Farhart as part of his rehabilitation. The bowler will instead be associated with his team as ‘fan mentor and community face’.

“I intend to be with the team all along the IPL season. I will be their motivator and will cheer them through to the IPL Season 2 finals so that I can play the champions league with Kings XI Punjab. The new role that I will play in the interim for Kings Xi Punjab as a fan mentor and community face is going to be very exciting,” the bowler said in a statement.

“It is unfortunate that Sreesanth will not be participating in the season 2 due to his back injury. He is a performer and was a great asset to the team last season and his absence on the field will surely be felt, Kings XI Punjab coach Tom Moody said.

“Sreesanth is an integral part of Kings XI Punjab. The role that we have envisaged for him this year is exciting and vital. He will be pivotal to our playing squad and to our community through various initiatives which will promote the game and the franchise,” the Kings XI team co-owner Ness Wadia said.

Sreesanth had a run-in with Indian teammate Harbhajan Singh during a match here April last year with Singh slapping him in full public view on the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) ground here following a verbal exchange
Source:hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reached an out of court settlement with Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd (formerly Sony Entertainment Television) over the issue of broadcast rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009.

The deal between the two has been settled at $1.026 billion spread over a period of 10 years. It is learnt that the broadcaster had submitted a new offer to the organizers of IPL and sought an out of court settlement with them.

Last week, Sony had filed a case against BCCI in the Bombay High Court seeking injunction over the latter’s attempts to negotiate a fresh contract for production rights of IPL. BCCI had claimed that it had already signed a deal with World Sports Group (WSG)-Mauritius. The Bombay High Court asked the BCCI not to sign any new contract until the case was resolved.

In 2008 edition of IPL, Sony had earned around Rs 350 crore as advertising revenues. For IPL second season, the broadcaster has already signed deals with firms such as Coca-Cola, Airtel Digital and Havells India. The schedule of matches for the second season is yet to be decided. The IPL was originally scheduled to be held between 10 April and 24 May. However, the home ministry and several state governments raised various security concerns and suggested that the matches be held after the general elections.
Source:economictimes.indiatimes.com

MUMBAI: This summer, you can catch your favourite movie star in a cricket stadium or at a political rally and not at a film shoot. Reason? Actors and directors have decided to reschedule shoots in favour of turning star campaigners for political parties or celebrity supporters for a cricket team. Some are even contesting the elections themselves.

Ajay Devgan’s home production starring Samajwadi Party candidate Sanjay Dutt has been postponed from March to May keeping in mind the poll dates. Even though Dutt’s manager Dharam Oberoi says the actor will join the schedule from May 15, sources say the actual date may be much later since election results will be announced on May 16. Dutt also wrapped up a song for the film Chatur Singh Two Star in a day-and-a-half at Mehboob Studios earlier this week because he had to fly to Lucknow soon after. Says a unit hand, “Dutt saab didn’t arrive for the first two days. Then he requested director Ashok Chandok to wrap up the song in three shifts.”

Vinod Rathod, who has a lot of Sanjay Dutt songs to his credit, will definitely go to campaign for the star in Lucknow. Rumour has it that even Arshad ‘Circuit’ Warsi has been approached to lend support to Munnabhai.
Source:timesofindia.indiatimes.com