MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today permitted the BCCI to hold the May 1 IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants in Pune, a week after it ordered shifting to other venues all post-April 30 matches planned in drought-hit Maharashtra.
A division bench of justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik granted the permission while hearing an application filed by BCCI’s general manager (games development) Ratnakar Shetty urging the court to allow the cricket body to hold the May 1 match as scheduled in Pune, citing logistical and other difficulties in moving it to another venue.
“As an exception, due to logistical reasons mentioned by BCCI in the application we are allowing the match to he held in Pune on May 1,” the order said.
The application was filed after the high court passed the order on April 13 directing all IPL matches from April 30 onwards to be shifted out of Maharashtra to avoid use of huge quantities of water for maintenance of stadiums when the state was reeling under a grim drought.
By that order, 13 matches were to be shifted to other states.
According to Shetty’s application, the Pune team is scheduled to play a match against Gujarat Lions on April 29 in Pune, and hence, it is “practically impossible” for BCCI and the Pune franchise to shift the May 1 match to an another venue outside Maharashtra and “make all arrangements for the same in just a single day”.
Shetty’s plea stated that the request is “bonafide and is being made in the interest of justice” and if the court does not grant relief then severe prejudice, grave hardship and irreparable damage and injury will be caused to BCCI and the Pune franchise.(Agencies)
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