Maharashtra drought: Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Kanpur likely replacement IPL venues

New Delhi: Hunt for alternative venues to host the 13 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches which were asked to be moved out of drought-hit Maharashtra by the Bombay High Court is on.

But according to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already identified Visakhapatnam, Raipur and Kanpur as frontrunners to replace Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.

A report in ESPNcricinfo claimed that IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla has said that these cities are indeed the frontrunners to become alternate home venues for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS).

Earlier, Ranchi was also reportedly considered as one of the alternative venues.

The report added that the tournament's organisers have ignored Ranchi and also Chennai, which was used to be the home of now suspended Chennai Super Kings.

The Bombay HC on Wednesday ordered the organisers of IPL to hold no matches in Maharashtra after April 30. The state in Western Ghats is reeling under severe drought.

The state has two teams in the cash-rich franchise-based Twenty20 league, in defending champions MI and RPS.

And their home matches were scheduled at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai for MI and Maharashtra Cricket Stadium, Pune for RPS.

Besides Kings XI Punjab also have some of their home matches at Nagpur.

Reacting to the verdict, the BCCI admitted that shifting the venues in such a short notice will be a gargantuan task for the organisers.