IPL semis relocated to Mumbai after Bangalore blasts
The IPL semi-finals have been relocated from Bangalore to Mumbai following explosions outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore at the weekend.
The two low-intensity blasts have confirmed security concerns that some in the international cricketing community held over the tournament, and will no doubt be making several international cricket boards a little twitchy about their players’ participation in the competition.
The move to Mumbai will do little to assuage those worries when one considers this was the city where more than 170 people lost their lives in terrorist attacks in November 2008.
Looking ahead too, it must raise further safety concerns for players ahead of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, due to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Security concerns following the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore, Pakistan, last year have already seen that country stripped of their co-hosting rights for the tournament.
However, the show goes on in the IPL, though as a result of the security concerns raised during the match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians at the Bangalore stadium, the semis have now been moved to Mumbai.
“While reluctant to relocate the semi-finals at such short notice, yesterday’s incidents have made it clear that the current environment in Bangalore prevents us from continuing with our original plans,” IPL Chairman and Commissioner, Lalit Modi, said in a statement on Sunday.
“The incidents were assessed by local police and the IPL’s security agency as being of a minor nature but they have forced our hand. This decision is naturally disappointing for the people of Bangalore but has been taken with the tournament’s best interests, and the interests of its many varied stakeholders, in mind.
“The IPL wishes those affected by yesterday’s incidents a speedy recovery from injuries suffered as a result of the cowardly actions.
“Despite this setback, we’re confident the semi finals and finals of DLF IPL 2010 will be successfully contested and provide a fitting finale to a remarkable tournament.”
With one group match left to play – between top team the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders – the composition of the semi-finals has not been confirmed.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai will be there, as will defending champions Deccan Chargers who strung together five wins in their last five matches to lock in their semi-final place, and a chance of back-to-back competition victories.
For Kolkata, who sit on six wins and seven losses heading into today’s match against Mumbai, victory is the only option if they are to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Even then, their disappointing net-run rate may still count KKR out of the top four. The Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore currently hold down the third and fourth places respectively.
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