Will IPL opener be back in Hyderabad?

New Delhi:

Owing to the political unrest in Andhra Pradesh over the Telangana issue, Lalit Modi, Indian Premier League Commissioner, had officially shifted the venue of the opening game of the third edition of the T20 extravaganza to Mumbai.

According to the latest reports, the DGP of Andhra Pradesh has assured Lalit Modi of top-notch security to players and public for the IPL match.

"We are providing security for remaining matches to be played in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam and on similar lines proper security will be provided to players and the public for the opening match and the inaugural event also," Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police R R Girish Kumar said.

"We love to have the inaugural ceremony and the first match in Hyderabad," the DGP said.

Modi had said that he did not want to take any chances whatsoever and thus, had decided to shift the venue for the opening game.

"The opening game, the opening ceremony and the opening gala dinner (on March 11) are very important for us. People from all over the world are coming and we are going to make sure that everything is in order. We don't want to take any chances," Modi had said.

It may be recalled that about 100 pro-Telangana activists invaded the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Uppal on Thursday and forced abandonment of a match that was played between Hyderabad XI and Andhra XI in the inaugural Deccan Twenty-20 Cup cricket tournament.

Whether or not Lalit Modi will show his trust in the Andhra DGP is still to be seen.

(With inputs from PTI)