AHMEDABAD: How about kicking off Indian Premier League’s (IPL) season II in Ahmedabad? Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) officials are hoping Lalit Modi is asking himself this question after losing the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections on Sunday.

It is a seductive thought for cricket lovers in Ahmedabad as it would mean that Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals and Virender Sehwag’s Delhi Daredevils would slug it out in the first match at Motera stadium on April 10. Besides, all Royals’ ‘home’ matches will also be held here.

IPL chairman and commissioner Modi may accuse the Congress government in Rajasthan of orchestrating his defeat at RCA. But, another Congressman is more than keen to lend a helping hand.

GCA, led by Congress leader Narhari Amin, has spread the red carpet for the Royals, hoping that after the latest controversy, they make Motera stadium their new home.

Although Modi said after the loss that all Royals matches would still be held in Jaipur, Amin and others have not lost hope. “The crowds they saw for Indian Cricket League (ICL) matches last year, drew the Royals to Ahmedabad,” Amin told TOI. “If ICL could draw large crowds, imagine the kind of numbers IPL and its stars would attract in Ahmedabad,” Amin says. “In Jaipur last year, Royals had not raked in the kind of revenue they had expected at the Sawai Mansingh stadium. If Modi wants to shift all matches to Ahmedabad, he is more than welcome.”

Royals had originally planned to hold at least two matches in Ahmedabad given that it has maximum players from Gujarat and also has a large fan following here.

GCA officials say now that since Modi has lost the elections, holding IPL matches in Jaipur would be a tough task. For one, Sawai Mansingh stadium is owned by RCA and security would have to be provided by the state government, whom Modi has accused of ensuring his defeat. Besides, there is no other stadium in Royals’ catchment area that can rival Motera’s facilities.

All cricket lovers in Ahmedabad can do now is hope that a smarting Modi deserts Jaipur.

Source: Timesofindia