This season too, Sri Lankan cricketers will not be figuring in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in Chennai. Reliable sources say the security agencies in the city have told the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) that players from Sri Lanka could be at risk given the stance taken by various groups in the State against alleged atrocities on ethnic Tamils in the island nation under the previous regime.
The message was conveyed to the IPL governing body which, subsequently, approved matches in the city without Sri Lankan participation. In the IPL edition of 2013, Sri Lankan players representing various franchises did not figure in the matches here. In 2014, Chennai did not host any IPL game.
Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lankan captain, did not arrive with the Delhi Daredevils team here on Monday. Although the Daredevils officials were tight-lipped on the subject, all-rounder Mathews will not play in the duel against Chennai Super Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on April 9.
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