Bombay High Court says no IPL matches in drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30

The Bombay High Court has ordered the BCCI to shift matches of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) out of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur in drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30.

However, it has acknowledged the contributions of Rs 5 Crores each from the Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants franchises and 64 lakh litres of water from the BCCI to the city of Latur in the Marathwada region of the state. This means that 13 matches, including the final on May 29, cannot be held in Maharashtra.

While Maharashtra continues to suffer from severe drought, the BCCI told the Bombay High Court that shifting matches out of the state was not feasible. This was mainly due to concerns over financial investments and the brand values of the defending IPL champions MI and new entrant RPS.

However, the High Court has ruled that the matches cannot go ahead beyond the end of April. The BCCI will now have to decide on alternate venues for the concerned matches from May 1.

Image credit: Indiatimes