A delighted Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is determined to host the India Premier League (IPL) franchise Kochi's home games in the fourth edition of the T20 league

Nehru Stadium, not Motera will host IPL games

A delighted Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is determined to host the India Premier League (IPL) franchise Kochi's home games in the fourth edition of the T20 league.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yesterday gave the nod to the Kochi consortium after its owners, in a last-minute agreement, sorted out their differences in the shareholding pattern.

There were question marks raised about the facilities at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi, which is owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). There were reports of the franchise's owners preferring to host their home games at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad (Motera).

It can be recalled, earlier this year, Sharad Pawar revealed that the Kochi consortium was keen to move the home of the franchise to Ahmedabad.

Recently, a BCCI official from the south zone told the media: "At this stage we're not sure if Kochi can host the IPL games. They have to fix the lights. Once a decision is taken, an IPL team will visit the stadium to check the facilities."

The new international stadium, which will be owned by KCA, is expected to host the games from the sixth edition of the IPL, KCA secretary TC Matthew told MiD DAY: "The new stadium should be ready by 2013. Until then, the home games will be hosted in Nehru Stadium. We're in the process of upgrading the lighting.

A lot of work was done for the infrastructure of the stadium. A total of Rs 33 crores were spent on the renovation.

"We are very delighted that the Kochi franchise has got the nod from the BCCI. The people of Kochi are gearing up for IPL in the city. It will be a big moment for Kerala cricket."