IPL 2018: Playing in Indore turning out to be expensive for KXIP

IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab is currently playing their matches in their second home ground of Indore. In the past, the franchise has distributed free passes to local authorities for IPL games, as is customary in Indore. However, it has not been cheap and KXIP had to make those arrangements at the cost of towering expenses.

This has not been the scenario this time around. The Preity Zinta co-owned franchise, in order to cut the expenses, sent 200 free passes to local administrative officials. This was only 40 percent of what was offered for IPL matches earlier, prompting the officials to return them. As the deadlock for passes reached a stalemate with KXIP refraining from extending the courtesy further quoting losses, the district administration has now decided to stick them with a ‘bill’ against government officials posted at the venue.

Speaking to TOI, district collector, Nishant Warwade revealed “Unlike any match of team India, IPL is a commercial event wherein the local administration has made all the required arrangements with the help of civic body, city police and other authorities concerned. We will recover one-day salary of the government officials and expenses on the machineries being used for the matches”

Warwade also cleared any ambiguity stating, that in case of any such private event, the authority always recovers expenses as incurred on making various arrangements including parking, deployment of the security officials, cleanliness, derivation of traffic, lights from the concerned agency and on the same lines, the administration is planning to prepare the ‘bill’ for Kings XI Punjab.

Officials digging the rule book to make the franchise pay

Approximately 1700 policemen, 30 Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) officers and workers and 15 senior administration officials have been posted to ensure that IPL matches are held without any glitch at the Holkar Stadium. Apart from Friday’s match, Kings XI Punjab is expected to play three more matches on May 6, 12 and 14.

The officials are digging through rule books to find ways to force the franchisee pay for the ‘bill’ they plan to generate. They have, however, stopped short of saying that the move was to exert pressure on more free passes for the cricket matches but confirm that the officials have returned the passes.

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