Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday has expressed ‘surprise’ and made an appeal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Indian Premier League (IPL) to include Mohali as one of the venues for the upcoming edition of the league (IPL 2021).
“I am surprised at the exclusion of Mohali Cricket Stadium for the upcoming IPL season. I urge and appeal to @BCCI & @IPL to reconsider their decision. There is no reason why Mohali can’t host IPL and our Government will make all necessary arrangements for safety against #Covid19,” Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh tweeted.
I am surprised at the exclusion of Mohali Cricket Stadium for the upcoming IPL season. I urge and appeal to @BCCI & @IPL to reconsider their decision. There is no reason why Mohali can’t host IPL and our Government will make all necessary arrangements for safety against #Covid19.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) March 2, 2021
As The Sports News reported earlier, BCCI is planning to host IPL 2021 at six venues; Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai. Though Mumbai is likely to miss the staging of IPL 2021 due to a spike in coronavirus cases.
Punjab Kings CEO Satish Menon is unhappy with the exclusion of Mohali and Dharamshala from the list of venues. “We have written to the IPL asking them to throw light on how they have decided on these venues and why also have they decided not to hold the IPL in Punjab,” he was quoted as saying by ESPN.
Earlier, Telangana’s Minister for Industry and Information Technology, KT Rama Rao and former India skipper and current president of Hyderabad Cricket Association, Mohammed Azharuddin has urged BCCI to hold IPL 2021 matches in Hyderabad.
“Open appeal to @BCCI and @IPL office bearers to include Hyderabad as one of the venues for upcoming IPL season. Our effective COVID containment measures are reflected in our low number of cases among all metro cities in India & we assure you of all support from the Govt,” KT Rama Rao tweeted.
“I strongly support the appeal by @ktrtrs. Hyderabad is absolutely capable of handling and conducting @IPL as per @BCCI’s directives and preparing a bio-secure bubble,” Azharuddin tweeted.
I strongly support the appeal by @ktrtrs. Hyderabad is absolutely capable in handling and conducting @IPL as per @BCCI’s directives and preparing a bio-secure bubble https://t.co/h3COGQnRwp
— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) February 28, 2021