Maharashtra water crisis: Bombay High Court allows BCCI to hold IPL match on May 1 in Pune

New Delhi: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted permission to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to conduct the May 1 game of Indian Premier League in Pune.

High Court took the decision after the cricket board plea cited logistical issues in shifting the game out of Maharashtra.

The decision now allows Rising Pune Supergiants to play at their home ground, MCA stadium, against Mumbai Indians on May 1.

Earlier, on April 13, taking note of the severe drought situation in several places, High Court had ordered all matches out of Maharashtra from April 30.

But BCCI later moved the court "post haste" through its "authorised representative" Ratnakar Shetty pointing out that Pune has home matches against Gujarat Lions on April 29 and against MI on May 1. And, how it is "practically impossible" for BCCI and the franchise to shift the May 1 match to an alternative venue outside Maharashtra "and make all the arrangements for the same in just a single day." - according to a report in Cricbuzz.

All the three IPL venues - Pune, Nagpur, Mumbai - had come under scanner after a PIL was filed by the Foundation for Democratic Reforms and Loksatta Movement highlighted that the IPL venues in Maharashtra were consuming 60 lakh litres of water to maintain their respective pitches at a time when the state was going through drought.