Chennai-Kolkata IPL match rained off

Chennai-Kolkata IPL match rained off

CAPE TOWN (AFP) — Steady rain caused the abandonment of the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders without a ball bowled at Newlands Saturday.

It was the second match to be washed out in eight days during the tournament which was switched at short notice from India to South Africa.

Rain fell throughout most of the day and it never seemed likely that play would get under way.

But players and a handful of spectators were kept waiting for two hours 45 minutes after the scheduled start before the umpires decided that it would not be possible to play even the minimum number of five overs a side.

A match between the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals was washed out in Durban Tuesday.

Matches were only scheduled in Cape Town for the early part of the tournament because of fears about the onset of the rainy season in the city.

Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab are due to play the last match in Cape Town Sunday when no rain is forecast.

Home Ministry asks IPL to get security assurance from states

New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) A crucial meeting between Indian Premier League (IPL) organisers and Home Ministry officials Monday turned out to be inconclusive as the central government once again raised concerns over providing security for players, spectators and venues during the tournament.
A three-member IPL delegation led by N. Srinivasan, who is also the Indian cricket board secretary, met the Home Ministry’s Special Secretary (Internal Security) Raman Srivastav here, to discuss security cover for the tourney. The original IPL schedule clashes with the coming general elections, when security forces are fully stretched anyway.

The ministry asked IPL organisers to work out yet another schedule and get an assurance from the various state governments to pledge security for cricketers and match venues. This is the third meeting between the two sides.

“The Home Ministry has expressed its concern (of providing security for IPL matches during elections). We have also expressed our concern and the problems of all the stakeholders,” Srinivasan told reporters here after the meeting.

On earlier occasions the Home Ministry has made it clear the central paramilitary forces would not be available for the tournament as over 2.1 million security troops would be drafted for general elections.