It has now been now decided that IPL venue will be shifted to international grounds – most likely to England and South Africa. It's not something that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bosses were expecting, but given the circumstances, they will take it. They know that they will incur losses in revenue, but it was important for them to have the business module of the Indian Premier League (IPL) flowing. According to a top CSK official, they had earned Rs 12.5 crore only from gate sales last season.
"We're going to miss out on a chunk of that money," the source said, but "there's not much we can do about it. For us, it is important that the IPL happens, come what may."
They are not yet sure what their 'home ground' will be, but they're already looking to create a fan base wherever they're asked to play. "The one good thing about South Africa and England is that there's a big Indian population there. And given the success of the last season, we'll probably be able to form a decent enough fan base," the official said, adding that it's a disappointment that the fans in Chennai will miss out on the live action.
"We understand their sentiments. But at the same time, it's also true that 98 per cent of the IPL viewership comprises TV audience." the official said. The production costs will shoot up substantially for hosting the matches outside India, but the CSK top-brass is hoping that those will be shared by the IPL authorities. "We will be having discussions over the next few days. We hope to keep the expenses to manageable proportions," he added.
It's obvious that there won't be more than 16-18 players with the squad. "We have to treat it like a tour, some players will have to miss out, but then again, we've to live with it," the source added. CSK is likely to host a camp wherever their home is and will decide on the composition of the team. Luckily for CSK, all their 10 foreigners won't be available right through the tournament and they'll be able to rotate most of them.
"Freddie Flintoff is available for three weeks, at that time, Albie Morkel and Makhaya Ntini have international commitments. Then Mike Hussey, too, will play only a few matches. So, we can rotate our foreigners quite effectively," he added. Meanwhile, S. Badrinath, who is one of the certainties in the CSK team, will miss the Chepauk atmosphere, but he also believes this will be a good exposure for him. "Playing in South Africa or England will be interesting. And we really have a very balanced team that can do well anywhere," Badrinath said, adding that he'll be surprised that if the team doesn't make the semifinals.
A Televisionpoint.com News
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