The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India whether it could shift Indian Premier League matches out of Pune, at a time when Maharashtra is going through a severe drought. The court has asked for an answer by Wednesday, reported PTI. This was after the Indian cricket board assured the court that it would only use treated sewage water to prepare cricket venues in Mumbai and Pune during the ongoing ninth season of the IPL.

A bench comprising Justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik also asked the BCCI whether it can contribute to the chief minister's drought relief fund. The bench was hearing a petition filed by NGO Loksatta Movement, which challenged the use of lakhs of litres of water daily to maintain pitches during the IPL.

Pune is scheduled to host nine IPL matches this season, while eight games have been allotted to Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. Three matches are scheduled to be held in Nagpur, but the BCCI's counsel informed the court that the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab has agreed to shift them to Mohali or elsewhere if needed.