Making an exception to its own earlier order that all IPl matches scheduled in drought-hit Maharashtra beyond April 30 be shifted out of the state, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday permitted the BCCI to hold the May 1 T20 fixture between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants in Pune, while accepting the logistical reasons cited by the cricket board.
"As an exception, due to logistical reasons mentioned by BCCI in the application we are allowing the match to be held in Pune on May 1," a HC division bench of justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik ruled.
The HC bench granted relief to the BCCI, while hearing an application filed by its general manager (games development) Ratnakar Shetty urging the court to allow the cricket body to hold the May 1 match as scheduled in Pune in view of the logistical and other problems faced by the board in shifting the fixture to another venue outside the state.
The Bombay High Court had on April 13 directed the BCCI to shift all the matches scheduled to be played in Maharashtra after April 30, to venues in other states in view of the severe drought prevailing in the state.
The HC order had obligated the BCCI to shift as many as 13 matches to be played in Maharashtra after April 30, out of the state. Having shifted all matches excepting the one to be played in Pune on May 1, the BCCI had approached the high court for relief.
In its plea, the BCCI told the high court that since the Pune team was scheduled to play a match against Gujarat lions on April 29 in Pune and hence, it was "practically impossible" for the cricket board and the Pune franchise to shift the May 1 fixture to another venue outside Maharashtra and "make all arrangements for the same in just a single day".
Shetty, in a plea made on behalf of the BCCI, also informed the court that the request being made by the cricket board was "bona fide" and "in the interest of justice" and stated that if the court were not to grant relief then severe prejudice, grave hardship and irreparable damage and injury would be caused to the cricket body and the Pune franchise.
He also told the court that in the event of the May 1 match being shifted to any venue outside the state, then the team members and its crew could travel only in the afternoon of April 30 as the match on April 29 would get over only late in the night.
Accepting the logistical and other difficulties faced by the BCCI and the Pune team, the HC bench permitted the cricket board to hold the IPl match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants in Pune on May 1 as scheduled before.
On its part, the BCCI had told the BCCI had earlier this month assured the high court that the IPl franchises of Mumbai and Pune would contribute Rs five crore to CM's drought relief fund and that it would use treated sewage water for maintaining the stadiums during the IPl tournament.