BCCI appreciates new stadium in Raipur

Raipur: BCCI is initially impressed with the facilities at the newly-built Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium but will analyse the preparedness of the venue to host international matches through the two IPL matches, here.

"The kind of infrastructure which they have got, I think this is the most suitable venue to be allotted for the international matches," IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said ahead of the Pune Warrior’s clash with Delhi Daredevils. Shukla said they will consider the demand of state board to bring Champions league and other big matches here. Appreciating the arrangements, he said that hosting IPL matches with such great facilities has opened up the door for international cricket here. Explaining the shifting of the play-offs to Delhi, Shukla said they forced to do it. As per the rules of IPL, final match of any season is played in the home ground of winner of the last season and the semis or the play offs are played in the grounds of runner up team, informed Shukla. As Kolkata Knight Riders had won the previous season and Chennai Super Kings lost to them in the finals, so the semis automatically were scheduled for M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. However, on-going protests in Chennai against Sri Lankan players forced us to shift the play-offs to Delhi, he said. "We cannot force a team to play without full squad just because it has Sri Lankan players in their playing squad," Shukla said. Replying to a query over the permanent membership of CSCS in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Shukla said that CSCS presently has associate membership and after it completes five years as associate members, the BCCI board will take the decision over giving CSCS the permanent membership. PTI