Kotla loses 2000 seats, but not the IPL!

The situation cropped up following a 1996 case regarding the safety of the old Club House which has a seating capacity of 2000 apart from the media enclosure.

For the matches, beginning here on April 23, there will be no spectators at the old Club House. 

The Delhi fans can heave a sigh of relief after a solution was reached following a threat to the IPL matches here.

 In a late development on Friday, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) administrator Justice (Retd) Vikramajit Sen told Sportstar , “As of now, the matches will be held at the Ferozeshah Kotla.”

The DDCA faced a situation similar to that of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) when Chennai was forced to surrender its six home matches to Pune after the local police refused to provide the necessary security due to disturbances resulting from the Cauvery issue demonstrations.

The situation cropped up following a 1996 case regarding the safety of the old Club House which has a seating capacity of 2000 apart from the media enclosure. The DDCA had been managing the problem by getting temporary safety clearances every season.  For the matches, beginning here on April 23, there will be no spectators at the old Club House. 

"We will have a skeletal presence in the enclosure. We have decided to give access to only the broadcasters since the camera positions and view for the commentators are important. The media, numbering 65 accredited journalists, would have to be accommodated at another spot but we shall find a way,” said Justice Sen.

Though Kotla will stage the matches, unlike Chennai, there will be a huge loss for GMR, the Delhi Daredevils franchise.  “I know we are going to suffer financial losses because we can’t sell 2000 prime-location seats. In addition, we have to adjust the media in another spot. But we will take the losses in our stride because the fans matter to us,” said Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua.