The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shifted the knockouts of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy from Indore to Pune due to logistical issues.
The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) reportedly informed the Board a fortnight ago about its inability to host the tournament due to non availability of hotel rooms for the teams.
The BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to Sportstar on Friday that the knockout stage has been moved to Pune, with matches to happen in two venues – the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje and the Dr DY Patil Academy ground in Ambi, in the outskirts of Pune.
“Indore is hosting a global conference of the doctors around that time, so there is a complete paucity of rooms from December 13 to 18, so we informed the BCCI that it would not be possible for us to host the tournament,” MPCA CEO Rohit Pandit told this publication.
Some of the top players of the country are featuring in the tournament, and there is a possibility that former India captain Rohit Sharma could make himself available for Mumbai for the knockouts of SMAT.
While the BCCI operations team has already finalised the hotels in Pune for the teams, the ongoing Indigo flight crisis could also have an impact since most teams travel on the budget airline. “We are constantly monitoring the situation and also exploring possible alternatives to ensure that the players and match officials reach the venues without any hassle,” a BCCI source said.
Over the last couple of days, the airline has already cancelled more than 1000 domestic flights, while its overall operations have also been disrupted.
Published on Dec 05, 2025