Bombay High Court allows May 1 IPL match in Pune

The Bombay High Court today allowed the BCCI to hold the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants in Pune on May 1 as scheduled.

Earlier this month the Bombay High Court had ordered the BCCI to shift all the IPL games out of the drought-hit state of Maharashtra from April 30 onward. This was done after a PIL was filed against BCCI by the Foundation for Democratic Reforms and Loksatta Movement.

The PIL highlighted that the IPL venues in Maharashtra (Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur) were consuming 60 lakh liters of water to maintain their respective pitches at a time when the state of Maharashtra was going through a drought. The order meant that a total of 13 matches were to be shifted out of the state. Now with the match between Mumbai and Pune being allowed to go as per schedule, a total of 12 matches will be shifted out of the state.

BCCI moved to the High Court to allow the game to be played on May 1 go as per the schedule. The BCCI cited logistical issues in moving the game scheduled on May 1 to another venue. The BCCI application was filed by Ratnakar Shetty. The application was heard by a division bench of justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik, who gave the permission to go ahead with the match as per the schedule.

Mumbai Indians will clash with the Rising Pune Supergiants in the Maharashtra derby on May 1 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

Also read – Six arrested in UP for betting in IPL 9