IPL matches stay put in Chennai: BCCI

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS)

The Indian cricket board has no plans to shift Indian Premier League (IPL) matches out of Chennai despite threats by Tamil activists to disrupt games involving Sri Lankan players.

“As of now the matches will be held in Chennai. We have no plans to shift them out,” Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told IANS here Sunday.

Street protests have taken place in Tamil Nadu to denounce the killings of Tamil civilians in the war against the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.

IPL teams have requested the IPL governing council to move matches away from Chennai.

IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla told IANS that the governing council was happy with the security situation in Chennai.

“As of now the matches are not being moved out. But we are monitoring the situation,” he said.

Eight of the nine IPL franchises have Sri Lankan players in their roster. Chennai, home to Super Kings, is scheduled to host 10 IPL matches this season.

Both Shetty and Shukla said that they haven’t received any communication from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) raising concern over the security of their players in IPL.

“Till date we have no news of Sri Lankan players pulling out of IPL. I don’t think it will happen as well,” said Shukla.

Akila Dananjaya and Nuwan Kulasekara will play for Chennai Super Kings; Jeevan Mendis and Mahela Jayawardene for Delhi Daredevils; Kolkata Knight Riders have Sachithra Senanayake; Lasith Malinga is with Mumbai Indians; Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews are in Pune Warriors; Rajasthan Royals have Kusal Janith Perera; Royal Challengers have Muttiah Muralitharan and Tillakaratne Dilshan; and Sunrisers Hyderabad have Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera.

Jayawardene will be leading Daredevils and Sangakkara will be in charge of Sunrisers.