Kanpur could lose out on an IPL game due to logistical issues

Kanpur could lose out on the Mumbai Indians game to be played on May 21. © Cricaction

Kanpur's Green Park stadium was originally scheduled to see Gujarat Lions taking on Kolkata Knight Riders on May 19 and Mumbai Indians on May 21 in the ongoing ninth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but the second game seems to be in jeopardy due to logistical issues according to reports on Monday (April 18).

Given that the city has only one five-star hotel has put the Mumbai game in doubt as there are not enough rooms to accommodate three teams at the same time. The closest airport to the city (Lucknow) being about 71 kms away also adds to the logistical woes.

This comes after authorities were earlier concerned about the lighting at the venue and wanted time to resolve the issue. Kanpur's fate will be decided by a report submitted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) technical committee, which will inspect the venue.

"There were some issues regarding the intensity of the floodlights and that has been sorted out. Within a couple of days, the concerned people will be coming for an inspection. I am confident that the matches will be held in Kanpur as per schedule," Rajjiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, had earlier said.

The venue has had trouble with floodlights before. One of the reasons why Green Park did not host day-night international matches before was that the shadow of the recently constructed Director Stand covered a large portion of the outfield. The light towers are slightly low when compared to most of the grounds in India.