This Article is From Feb 10, 2010

IPL 3: No Hyderabad matches could mean no Chargers

Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad: There could be a question mark over the participation of IPL champion Deccan Chargers in Season 3 of the T20 tournament if the Andhra Pradesh government has its way.

The trouble over Telangana, which claimed the opening wicket of the IPL inaugural, now threatens to run out Deccan Chargers, the IPL champions. The Andhra Pradesh government is seeing red over the possibility of all the matches in Hyderabad being shifted to another city and has asked the Chargers to boycott the IPL, if Hyderabad is not a venue. (Read: IPL opener moved out of Hyderabad)

"We are requesting the Deccan Chargers to pull out of the IPL if the matches do not take place in Hyderabad. After all, Chargers is Hyderabad's team," said K Venkat Reddy, Sports Minister, Andhra Pradesh.

The IPL developed cold feet after pro-Telangana activists disrupted a local T20 match at the stadium last month. After the IPL's decision to shift the opening ceremony, Telangana leaders promised no IPL matches will be disrupted but the assurance came too late.

The Hyderabad Cricket Association says it is in agreement with the government's view and says cricket fans in the city cannot be denied a chance to watch their team in action.

"We were the champions in South Africa and a champion team like the Deccan Chargers is being deprived of hosting the opening ceremony and also conduct the matches. It is really disappointing," said G Vinod, President, Hyderabad Cricket Association.

While the government has also petitioned Sharad Pawar on the matter, the Chargers have chosen not to react, leaving it to the IPL to sort out the government's scorching yorker.
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