Mumbai, January 22: IPL’s commissioner Lalit Modi confirmed on Friday that no matches will take place in Hyderabad during the third edition of the IPL due to the fear of the Telangana incident backlash.
Deccan Chargers who play all their matches in Hyderabad are the defending champions and were scheduled to host the opening match of the third edition but now the organisers have scrappedHyderabad as the venue.
Mumbai’s DY Patil stadium will get the benefit instead as the most match in the third edition of the IPL will be hosted by the city. Wankhede Stadium is the other stadium inMumbai and is likely to share hosting of matches with DY Patil stadium.
Meanwhile Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla has been cleared to host IPL matches for this season. Kotla, home to Delhi Daredevils, was recently embroiled in the controversy after the fifth match of the India-Sri Lanka ODI series was scrapped due to unplayable and unfit pitch.
The ICC on Thursday had banned Ferozeshah Kotla from holding any international match till 2010.
The opening match of the IPL 3 between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knightriders will now be played at the DY Patil stadium in Mumbai.
The third edition of the IPL will kick off from March 12 with the final slated to be help on April 25.
–Agencies