Captains to skip IPL 2018 opening ceremony due to logistical issues

Sport360 staff 20:34 21/03/2018
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    The BCCI has decided that six captains of IPL franchises excluding Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings do not need to attend the opening ceremony that is scheduled for April 7.

    Until last season, the opening ceremony had been held a day before the first game with all captains in attendance to sign the “Spirit of Cricket” pledge.

    This year, it was decided that the ceremony would take place before the first game between Mumbai and Chennai on April 7.

    However, problem arose as four IPL teams have matches the next day.

    In a double-header scheduled for April 8, Delhi Daredevils play Kings XI Punjab in Chandigarh and Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata.

    “IPL team should have done their homework. They are calling Gautam Gambhir and Ravichandran Ashwin a day before an afternoon match. That’s absolute lack of homework,” a senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

    “Sample this. If Ashwin and Gambhir would have attended the opening ceremony, they could only boarded a 9pm flight from Mumbai to Delhi as there are no evening flights from Mumbai to Chandigarh.”

    “Now from Delhi, they can’t take a flight to Chandigarh on Sunday morning because the airport would remain close. So either they travel by car during the night, which is a dangerous proposition or in the morning of the match to play at 4 pm. The less said, better it is,” said the official.

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