Raman invites IPL to state

Chhattisgarh has offered to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament at a time when other states across the country have expressed its reservations to do so in wake of ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

The state goes to the poll in the first phase of general elections on April 16.

“The members of the technical committee of IPL will be visiting the state soon to examine the proposal given by the state government to host the matches in the state,” Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association (CSCA) President Baldev Singh Bhatia said.

After getting consent from the state government, the association members spoke to IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi and apprised about the offer. “Modi had given positive response and had informed to send the technical team members in two-three days to see the infrastructure and other facilities,” Bhatia said.

The technical team of the CSCA today inspected the recently constructed international cricket stadium at the outskirts of the state capital. The members are scheduled to meet the Chief Minister, Dr Raman Singh later to brief him about the requirement for hosting the matches in the state.

According to Bhatia, the international stadium matches all the standards to organise the tournament. The 90 yard ground is reported to be the biggest ground in the central India. The stadium was inaugurated in September last year.

The CSCA had also informed the IPL organisers that they could expect a heavy turnout in the stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 60,000 people. But more than 100000 cricket lovers thronged the stadium at the inaugural match in which some of the international crickets participated.