IPL 2018: IPL matches moved out of Chennai due to Cauvery protests

Indian Premier League matches of Chennai Super Kings are being moved out of Chennai owing to security concerns, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla confirmed on Wednesday.  As of now, four options are being explored for an alternate venue with Pune emerging as the front-runner.

“We are moving all matches out of Chennai. A final decision will be announced soon. The most likely venue will be Pune,” Shukla told reporters in Jaipur, on the sidelines of the Rajasthan Royals-Delhi Daredevils game.

Top officials of the Chennai-based franchise were earlier in a meeting with the local police to find out if adequate security can be provided for the six remaining home fixtures at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium.

The decision to shift matches out of Chennai was reached after the franchise’s chief executive officer, Kasi Viswanathan met the Chennai police commissioner late on Wednesday night.

According to sources, the former was asked if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can reschedule the remaining six matches out of Chennai.

Viswanathan told DNA, “The police commissioner wanted the matches to be rescheduled keeping in mind the prevailing situation in the city. However, that will logistically not be possible for CSK to do because it involves many stakeholders. Without adequate security measures, we didn’t want to risk anything and we have told the BCCI to look for alternate venues.”

Meanwhile, the ticket sales for CSK’s next scheduled home game, against Rajasthan Royals on April 20, were put on hold on Wednesday.

Another report said that BCCI has already short-listed four cities to host Chennai Super King’s remaining home matches. 

Bharathiraja, Ameer others protest IPL match in city

The news came just a day after Chennai Super Kings made a happy homecoming at MA Chidambaram Stadium and went on to beat Kolkata Knight Riders in the last-over thriller on Tuesday.

However, the clash was marred by controversy as 21 Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) party workers were arrested and sent to Puzhal Central Prison for holding protests over Cauvery issue outside Chennai’s Chepauk Stadium in a bid to stop an IPL match held there.

The arrested party workers were charged for beating up policemen on duty who were deployed to curb the protest and ensure the match to be held between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was played without trouble. Cases were also registered against lyricist Vairamuthu Ramasamy, director P Bharathiraja, MLA Karunas and 500 other protesters at Trilplicane police station.

Three Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) workers were also detained for hurling shoes inside the Chepauk stadium during  the match between the Chennai and Kolkata sides on Tuesday.

Kolkata were batting in the game against when a few shoes were hurled from the upper tier of the stands opposite to the main pavilion. The unidentified protestors hurled shoes at Ravindra Jadeja, who was stationed at long-on. The footwear missed the player fell near the boundary rope as Faf Du Plessis and Lungi Ngidi were taking a stroll. A couple of shoes also fell on the stands below, according to reports.

The protesters, who were also carrying a red flag against rules, were removed from the ground by the police, said the report quoting local organisers.

Chennai on Tuesday saw massive protests against the conduct of IPL matches amid raging Cauvery demonstrations, with police chasing away agitators in some places. One incident of agitators burning yellow jerseys, the attire of Chennai Super Kings players, was also reported.

Rajinikanth condemns attack on policeman

Tamil ‘Superstar’ Rajinikanth on Wednesday condemned the alleged attack on three policemen during the anti-IPL protests over the Cauvery issue.

In a tweet, the 67-year-old actor said,”The worst form of violence is the assault on uniformed personnel.” “This kind of violence has to be tackled immediately, as it poses a danger to our country. We need more stringent laws to punish the perpetrators,” he added.

Rajinikanth, who has announced his intentions to launch his political party, did not name anyone.

However, he uploaded a 23-second video on his twitter handle that showed the alleged attack on the law enforcers.

The three were allegedly shoved and attacked by protesters near the Chepauk stadium where an IPL cricket match was held yesterday amid protests.

The reason for the attack and the identity of the assailants were not known, though they were believed to be cadres of a pro-Tamil outfit.

Police resorted to a lathi-charge to quell the agitation, which was marked by hurling of sandals into the stadium and burning of yellow jerseys, the colour of the Chennai Super Kings.

The opposition by pro-Tamil outfits to the IPL matches was that the game would divert the attention of the youth from the Cauvery issue and lessen the impact of the state-wide stir.Since April 1, the state has been witnessing protests by political parties, pro-Tamil outfits, voluntary organisations and student groups seeking setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.

On February 16, the Supreme Court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin.

The court had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, which modified the CWDT award of 2007. The six-week period ended on March 29.