The massive protests against holding Indian Premier League matches in Chennai amid the Cauvery water-sharing issue seems to forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India to shift the matches out of the city, according to initial reports.
The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium—popularly called Chepauk Stadium—in Chennai is the home ground of the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings franchise. The Chennai team played its first home match yesterday against the Kolkata Knight Riders amid tight security. The CSK has returned to the IPL fold after a two-year ban for the involvement of its officials in batting.
There were massive protests outside the stadium ahead of the match and several hundreds of protesters were detained. Even during the match, shoes were thrown at CSK players Ravindra Jadeja and Faf du Plessis.
Pro-Tamil outfits had called on the people to boycott the match to protest against the Union government for not setting up the Cauvery Management Board. However, it was a packed house at the Chepauk Stadium and the CSK did not disappoint their fans, winning a thriller by five wickets with one ball to spare.
Demonstrators shout slogans as they block a road outside the Chepauk Stadium ahead of the IPL match between CSK and KKR on April 10, in Chennai | Reuters
Tamil film celebrities like director Bharathirajaa also hit the streets demanding justice for Tamil Nadu vis-a-vis Karnataka, the two states which are locked in a dragging row over the river water.
IPL chief Rajeev Shukla had met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba ahead of the match and requested him to ensure additional security in and around the stadium in Chennai amidst fears that protesters might disrupt the match.
Six more IPL matches are scheduled to be played in Chennai till May 27. Security issues seem to have forced the BCCI to take the matches out of Chennai.
The Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, might play host to the CSK, as reported earlier. Kerala Cricket Association Jayesh George had told the media last week that talks for these changes have already begun.
The Greenfield Stadium could be the most likely venue if Kerala is allotted any of the IPL matches as the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, which was the home ground of the Kochi Tuskers in 2011, could take a while before it can be match-ready, having hosted the Indian Super League football tournament earlier this year.