Visakhapatnam to host two IPL games

Visakhapatnam will host two IPL home games for the Deccan Chargers this season, IPL chairman Lalit Modi has confirmed. Modi said each franchise had the option of choosing two grounds in and around its catchment area and Visakhapatnam is the third alternative venue shortlisted after Cuttack and Ahmedabad.

The Deccan Chargers will play their remaining home matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the regular venue. Modi had recently indicated that defending champions Rajasthan Royals' home games may be shifted out of Jaipur, which hosted all its games last season, due to administrative problems.

Reacting to news about direct-to-home (DTH) provider Big TV's cancellation of a US$31.16 million deal with the IPL, because of a separate deal between IPL broadcaster Sony and another DTH provider, Modi said it was a setback but was hopeful of a resolution. "We are jointly working with the management team at Sony to address this," he said, "and we are confident that we will be able to amicably resolve the operational issues to the satisfaction of all the concerned parties.

"They [sponsors] are all very much still on board and not a single partner has pulled out. They have all paid as per the schedule. In fact, we have received a lot of offers from potential sponsors at multiple prices willing to pay much more for our properties."