Kings XI Punjab will have two home venues for IPL 2018

The mega-auction for the upcoming IPL 2018 is just around the corner. With the dates finalized for later this month, the BCCI on Thursday released the list of players retained by the franchises ahead of the auctions. While there were quite a few surprises, the Preity Zinta co-owned Kings XI Punjab retained only one player- Axar Patel.

The all-rounder’s retention, however, makes sense for Punjab as he is the only player from the Indian team who was in the squad that played last year. And in a recent development, the franchise announced that they will be using two venues for IPL 2018. The Punjab side will continue with Mohali as their primary home venue, and Indore will serve as the second choice. Mohali is slated to host four of the seven home games, while Indore will see the other three home games.

In August last year, the Kings XI asked the BCCI to allow them to shift from Mohali because of a lack of support from the PCA and the local authorities. KXIP also complained that the lack of fans turnout resulted in lower revenue. This decision to add Indore as a second venue came about after matters pertaining to the security arrangements between the Punjab Government and Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) last year, were duly resolved.

KXIP CEO opens up regarding the shift

Speaking to Indian Express, Satish Menon, the franchise’s chief executive officer said, “We wanted to shift our base from Mohali but the main issue regarding the security has been resolved between the government and the Punjab Cricket Association. We are happy to be playing in Mohali as there is different energy there.”

He added, “We will be playing four games in Mohali and the remaining three in Indore. It has been a good venue for us, and the response has been great as we have seen packed houses last year.”

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