The IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab has come up with a unique request. They don’t want to play at their traditional home base of Mohali. Instead, they have told the Indian cricket board that they would rather play at Dharamsala and Pune. Trouble with local authorities in Mohali and poor turnout of fans for home games have been cited as reasons. It is learnt that Kings XI Punjab has officially made the request to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar. Sources in the BCCI inform that they are yet to take any decision on this issue. “One reason for Kings XI moving away from Mohali is because they are having difficult times with local authorities. Also, the turnout for the IPL has been disappointing. Not too many people turn up. Whereas venues like Dharamsala and Pune have been good for them. They (Kings XI) have requested us and the board will decide later what needs to be done in this regard,” a top BCCI official said to The Indian Express. However, the board isn’t going to commit anything to Kings XI for now as Pune and Dharmsala have been listed as venues (8th and 9th) for two new IPL teams. The board will be opening tenders for two new IPL teams on December 8 and decision for approving Kings XI Punjab will be taken thereafter. “We can’t commit anything now. What if the two new teams choose Pune and Dharamsala as their venues? We will wait and see. IPL teams do have a choice to choose alternate venue. Delhi had played in Raipur, Chennai played their games in Ranchi. Rajasthan Royals has been playing in alternate venue. So it’s up to the IPL team to decide which venue they will prefer,” the official added. Kings XI Punjab’s chief operating officer Fraser Castellino was unavailable for comment. Meanwhile, the board official explained it’s the team’s prerogative as to which venue they would like to play. Kings XI have played some of their IPL games in Dharmsala and Pune in the past seasons but the decision to shift totally from Mohali has come as surprise. A team like Rajasthan Royals had earlier played their games away from home as the BCCI had banned Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) after Lalit Modi contested in RCA’s election a few years back. If the BCCI agrees to Kings XI’s request, then it will be the first team which will be moving base from its original venue.
