Bengaluru: The Duleep Trophy final is expected to move from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), on the outskirts of the city here, to either the M Chinnaswamy Stadium or MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with spectators likely to be allowed.The inter-zonal tournament begins on Aug 23 with six teams, and the quarterfinals and semifinals will be held at the CoE.The final, slated for Sep 6-10, was originally scheduled at the CoE, a venue where matches are played behind closed doors. However, the BCCI is reportedly exploring other options to allow spectators.When BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was asked during his recent visit to CoE about the match being held behind closed doors, he said, “We will definitely look into the aspect of hosting the match with spectators; we still have time.”It is understood that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) were sounded out earlier this week and agreed to host the finale, but a deterrent could be that, following last year’s stampede outside the stadium, a court ruling binds the state association to extensive protocols if spectators exceed 5000.That may be why, on Tuesday, the cricket board also sounded out the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) as it continues to explore holding the final with spectators.
