Gujarat Lions may lose out an IPL game due to logistical issues

According to reports on Monday , Kanpur’s Green Park stadium is set to lose an IPL game due to logistics issues. Green Park is originally scheduled to host Gujarat Lions taking on Kolkata Knight Riders on May 19 and Mumbai Indians on May 21 in the ongoing ninth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but the second game cannot be a possibility now.

The issue arose due to the players accommodation problems. The city has only one five-star hotel and there are not enough rooms to accommodate three teams at the same time. This issue has put the Mumbai game in doubt. The alternative solution is also not a viable option; the closest airport to the city (Lucknow) being about 71 kms away, adding to the logistical woes.

This news comes after authorities were earlier concerned about the lighting at the venue and wanted time to resolve the issue. Kanpur’s fate will be decided by a report submitted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) technical committee, which will inspect the venue.

“There were some issues regarding the intensity of the floodlights and that has been sorted out. Within a couple of days, the concerned people will be coming for an inspection. I am confident that the matches will be held in Kanpur as per schedule,” Rajjiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, had earlier said.

The venue has had trouble with floodlights before. One of the reasons why Green Park did not host day-night international matches before was that the shadow of the recently constructed Director Stand covered a large portion of the outfield. The light towers are slightly low when compared to most of the grounds in India.