Orisports Team 25-Feb-2010 127
Tickets for the two Cuttack matches of the Indian Premier League will be sold to the public at the counters of Barabati Stadium, Cuttack and Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on March 16. Defending champions Deccan Chargers, who have chosen Cuttack as their home venue, will play the two matches at Barabati Stadium against Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils on March 19 and 21 respectively. Though IPL tickets are sold online only, Deccan Charges have accepted Orissa Cricket Association’s request to sale 20,000 tickets out of a total of 36,000 through counters for the benefit of the cricket lovers of the state. ‘‘The two counters at Barabati Stadium and Kalinga Stadium will be selling 10,000 tickets each on March 16. One person will be allowed to buy a maximum of two tickets for each of the two matches,’’ OCA secretary Asirbad Behera said on Thursday. He also stated that 8,000 tickets will be sold among the affiliated units of OCA. Meanwhile, preparation for the ensuing matches picked up momentum with a 10-member Deccan Chargers delegation, including Director Venkat Reddy and CEO Sundar Raman visiting Cuttack to inspect the facilities at Barabati and workout modalities for the successful conduct of the high-profile events for the first time in Orissa. Talking to mediapesons, Reddy said Orissa being a catchment area of the Deccan Chargers, it had been decided to treat Barabati Stadium, which has excellent facility as our home ground. He also confirmed that despite protest by Kalinga Sena, a political outfit, cheer girls would entertain the crowd at Barabati. ‘‘Cheer girls dancing in cricket matches has become a routine affair all over the world. Even Shiv Sena has given its green signal for cheer girls to perform in the IPL matches at Mumbai. So, it should not be a problem at Cuttack,’’ explained Reddy. The OCA secretary was of the opinion that IPL matches at Cuttack would attract foreign tourists to Orissa and should not be opposed. ‘‘This would promote tourism and provide means of income to a lot of people in the state,’’ he pointed out. Both the officials made it clear that there would no complimentary passes would be issued for the ensuing matches. However, accreditation for media would be provided through on-line application. ‘‘Deccan Chargers executives have also assured OCA to make some arrangements for local mediapersons to cover the matches,’’ stated Behera. According to the programme, the Deccan Chargers side would arrive at Cuttack on March 17, two days before their match against the Kings XI Punjab. Meanwhile, a local office of the Hyderabad-based franchise of the IPL opened at the Barabati Stadium on February 20. Speaking on including Orissa players in the Deccan Chargers squad, Reddy said three of the promising players have been shortlisted for the next edition of the IPL. RATE OF TICKETS: Gallery - Rs 600: Special Enclosure - Rs 2,000: Club House - Rs 3,000: Corporate Gallery - Rs 3,000: New Pavilion - Rs 5,000: Corporate box - Rs 10,000.
