Maharaja Trophy from Aug 15?

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association is likely to hold the Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament from August 15 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Following a meeting with the six franchises here on Saturday, KSCA, it is learnt, is planning to have the players’ auction towards the end of July after the completion of the inter-club T20 tournament which will help the teams identify their potential picks.

Like the previous edition, this year, too, the entire event will be held in Bengaluru owing to a combination of factors, sources in the KSCA revealed. With possible rain interruptions during the proposed schedule, the organisers aren’t in favour of taking the tournament to mofussil centres. 

With the KSCA already running behind schedule to conduct their league matches and other multi-day tournaments, they are not in position to take the matches beyond Bengaluru.

The delay in the resolution of a dispute between three clubs in the Group I, II Division league for the MAT Acharya Shield has also delayed the announcement of Karnataka State Cricket Association’s new season.