IPL to arrive in city

Gujarat Cricket Association has asked the Indian Premier League to allot two matches featuring Rajasthan Royals to Ahmedabad, confirmation to arrive within a week
By Tapan Joshi and Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, October 12, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) The Indian Premier League (IPL) razzmatazz is set to make a ‘Royal’ entry into the city. Ahmedabad is likely to host two matches involving Rajasthan Royals in the second edition of the IPL Twenty20 competition, scheduled to begin in the second week of April.

Confirming the development, Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) President Narhari Amin told Ahmedabad Mirror, “I told Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the IPL, that cricket-loving Amdavadis deserve a tournament like IPL in their backyard. Modi said he was aware about the craze cricket generates in Gujarat, and sounded very positive about the idea.”
The Rajasthan Royals celebrate their victory in the first edition of the IPL. They are likely to play two matches in Ahmedabad during the tournament’s second edition Amin suggested to Modi that the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals — champions in the inaugural edition of the IPL — could play a few of their matches in Ahmedabad.

“Rajasthan Royals have a permanent base in Jaipur, but I told Modi that one or two of their matches could be played in Ahmedabad. The meeting went off very well, and I am hopeful of a positive response from him.”Modi confirmed the GCA’s request, and said Ahmedabad stood a good chance of hosting the matches.

“As per the IPL regulations, those associations in the region of the participating team can host two matches, and Ahmedabad can apply to host matches involving Rajasthan Royals."When asked the decision to that effect would be taken, Modi said, “The IPL review meeting will be held in Bangkok and we will let the GCA know whether they can host the matches in a week’s time.”Ironically, during the bidding in the first edition of the IPL, Ahmedabad had narrowly lost out to Jaipur.

The Indian cricket Board had invited bids for 12 cities, and eight highest bidders were allowed to field their teams.Jaipur was the eighth highest bid at US $67 million, while Anil Ambani, who had bid for Ahmedabad, narrowly lost out and was placed ninth. Cuttack, Gwalior and Kanpur were the other cities to miss out. We tried to contacting IPL commissioner Lalit Modi but he did not respond.

The GCA’s desperation to bring IPL to Ahmedabad could be a result of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) establishing a base in the city.While Ahmedabad can have a team in the IPL only in 2011, the ICL already had Ahmedabad Rockets playing in their first edition. Now in its second edition, the Ahmedabad Rockets, led by former Australia batsman Damien Martyn, will play most of their matches at the Sardar Patel stadium in Navrangpura here.