IPL 2019: Chennai might lose out on hosting final with Hyderabad put on standby

Sudhir Gupta 16:46 09/04/2019
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  • The Chepauk stadium in Chennai could lose the rights to host the final.

    With the issue over the closed stands at the Chepauk stadium still to be resolved, defending champions Chennai Super Kings are in danger of losing out on hosting the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) to Hyderabad.

    According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI and its Committee of Administrators (CoA) have put Hyderabad and Bengaluru on standby in case the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) is unable to resolve the issue of the three empty stands at the Chepauk.

    Three stands at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai have remain closed to spectators since 2012 due to the local municipal corporation not granting them a fit certificate.

    In a meeting of the IPL Governing Council and the CoA held in New Delhi on Monday, the TNCA was given a week’s deadline to procure the certificates. Should Chennai fail in its bid to do so, then the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad could play host to the IPL final.

    In that case, Hyderabad could host the Qualifier 1 and the final while the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be staged at Bengaluru.

    “There are three stands that are locked. If they can’t clear the issue, we can’t have the finals there,” CoA chairman Vinod Rai was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

    Chennai had been initially given the rights to hold the 2019 final due to their status of being defending champions of the tournament.

    In the meeting held on Monday, it was also decided that India’s 15-man final squad for the 2019 ICC World Cup in England will be announced on April 15.

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