KPL to kick off in Sept

The 16-day event, which begins with a double-header at the Chinnaswamy stadium here, however, may well be short on some star attraction as hard-hitting batsmen Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, all-rounder B Akhil and pacemen R Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun will all most probably be part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore taking part in the Champions League in South Africa at the same time.

The tournament will commence with a match between runners-up Belagavi Panthers and Bangalore Brigadiers in the afternoon (3.00 pm) followed by a clash between defending champions Provident Bangalore and Bijapur Bulls (8.00 pm).

After the first four days, the action will shift to Hubli and then Manipal before concluding in Mysore on October 3. Mysore’s Gangotri Glades will also play host to both the semifinals on October 2. With the other venues not having floodlight facilities, only Bangalore will have day-night and night matches. Logistics will be an issue, admitted KSCA secretary Brijesh Patel. “Transportation of players from one venue to another is certainly going to be looked at. Besides we will also have to set up temporary structures for dressing rooms and telecast purpose,” he pointed out.

The player transfer window will be open from August 15 to 30. The Group ‘A’ players -- the cream of Karnataka -- have a two-year contract and as such it requires the consent of all the three parties involved -- the selling franchise, the buyer and the player -- before a transfer is effected.

KSCA officials clarified that the transfer will not take place through transaction of money but only by exchanging players. Those who had only a year’s contract are available to be picked now by any franchise willing to spend.

On the question of involving players from other states, Patel said the Board of Control for Cricket in India had not approved KSCA’s request. “If the State associations have no problem in allowing players to take part in the event then I don’t understand what’s stopping them (BCCI) from giving consent,” he noted.

KSCA President Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar was also present on the occasion.