Thaindian News

Bhubaneshwar, Feb 17 (IANS) After the Indian Premier League (IPL) rescheduled two matches of the Deccan Chargers in Cuttack, the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) is getting geared up to welcome the IPL at Barabati Stadium.
This will be the first time that the state association will host IPL and OCA is eyeing a windfall from these matches.

“We never expected to host IPL matches. The entire management would be done by IPL including the sale of tickets. We will only lend the ground facility. But we will certainly gain from these matches,” Ashirbad Behera, OCA secretary told IANS.

“We hosted an ODI (India vs Sri Lanka) just two months back so we are rather happy and prepared to host IPL,” he added.

Cuttack, a non-IPL franchisee city, got the chance to host the matches after the Hyderabad-based franchisee Deccan Chargers picked Barabati Stadium as the venue terming it as their ‘catchment’ area.

As per the revised IPL schedule released for the third edition, Deccan Chargers would meet Kings XI Punjab on March 19, and Delhi Daredevils March 21 at Barabati Stadium.

Commenting on the controversy of cheerleaders last time, Behera said: “Cheerleading is part and parcel of IPL. So cheerleaders will perform during the matches.”

The OCA had scrapped its idea to have sari-clad cheerleaders perform during the last ODI following opposition from the Kalinga Sena, a regional political outfit.