The play-off matches (Qualifier 1 and Eliminator) of the ongoing T20 league is finally out of Chennai and Delhi will host the matches on May 21 and 22.

 

“The matches have been shifted to Delhi,” the league chairman Rajeev Shukla told TOI. Earlier, Bangalore was considered one of the venues. But the league council voted in favour of Delhi.

 

The matches were shifted out of Chennai since the team owners had objected to their Sri Lankan players not being allowed to play in the southern city due to a political issue.

 

The decision to shift the play-off matches to Feroz Shah Kotla was taken by BCCI president N Srinivasan and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla after the Tamil Nadu government stuck to its stand of not allowing the Sri Lankan players to play in the wake of the strong anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state.

 

The first Qualifier was originally scheduled at the Chepauk on May 21 and the Eliminator on the following day. The matches will now be held on the same dates at Kotla.

 

The IPL governing council, which had met in Chennai on April 22 to take a decision on the issue had felt that the state government’s views on whether they would re-consider their stand on Sri Lankan players should be taken into account before taking a final decision.

 

The IPL had written to the state government for their views on whether they would allow the Sri Lankans to take part in these two matches.

 

Apparently, their efforts failed, prompting the authorities to shift the venue.

 

The decision to shift the venue to Delhi will allow the franchises to field their best-playing eleven for these two important matches.

 

The Tamil Nadu government had barred Sri Lankan players or match officials to play or officiate in Chennai in the wake of the anti-Sinhalese sentiments prevailing in the state. The Governing Council had then decided to go ahead with the matches in Chepauk but without Sri Lankan players.

 

However, the franchises were not too happy with the decision but considering the logistical nightmare it would have posed to redraw the schedule with a new venue, they decided to co-operate.

 

The franchises wanted the IPL governing council to review the decision for these two matches, arguing that these games were crucial and it would unfair on them if they could not be in a position to field their best team.

 

The team ranked first at the end of the league stage of the IPL will play the team ranked second, in Qualifier I on May 21. The winner of this game will qualify for the final.

 

The team ranked third at the end of the league stage, will play the team ranked fourth in the Eliminator on May 22.

 

The winner of the Eliminator will play the loser of Qualifier 1, in the third playoff (Qualifier 2), at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on May 24 May.

 

The final between the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2, will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata May 26. (TimesOfIndia/PTI)