IPL 2018: Kings XI Punjab set to play home matches at Mohali and Indore
What's the story?
Effectively quashing all doubts regarding the franchise's apprehension over the venue, Mohali is set to remain Kings XI Punjab's (KXIP) primary home venue for the 2018 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
While the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali will host four home matches of KXIP, the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore is slated to welcome the franchise for their remaining three home games in this year's IPL edition.
"We wanted to shift our base from Mohali but the main issue regarding the security has been resolved between the government and the Punjab Cricket Association. We are happy to be play in Mohali as there is different energy there," Satish Menon, KXIP CEO told The Indian Express.
He added, "We will be playing four games in Mohali and the remaining three in Indore. It has been a good venue for us and the response has been great as we have seen packed houses last year."
In case you didn't know...
During August last year, senior officials from Kings XI Punjab had put forth a request to the BCCI about the possibility of shifting their home matches out of Mohali.
The heart of the matter
Kings XI Punjab's concerns over playing their home matches at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali ranged from lack of adequate support from the Punjab Cricket Association to the absence of fervent support from cricket fans in the city.
During the 2017 IPL season, the franchise had played their first three home matches at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. They subsequently returned to the PCA IS Bindra Stadium for their remaining four home games of the edition. Ostensibly, KXIP's management were concerned about the underwhelming crowd turnout in Mohali.
Also Read: IPL 2018 Retentions - Decoding Kings XI Punjab's policy
With the security issue between the local government and the state association now resolved, the franchise have decided to play the bulk of their home matches for the 2018 season in Mohali.
What's next?
Upon opting to retain only Axar Patel, Kings XI will have INR 67.5 crore as well as three Right-to-Match cards at the upcoming player auction scheduled to take place on January 27 and 28 in Bengaluru.
Author's take
Considering that the city has been their home base since the inception of IPL, it makes sense for Kings XI Punjab to play the majority of their home matches in Mohali. The Holkar Stadium in Indore should serve as an ideal secondary venue for the franchise.