IPL: After Jaya's letter to PM, Sri Lankan players won't play in Chennai

The IPL Governing Council decided on Tuesday that Sri Lankan players would not participate in the Pepsi IPL 2013 League matches in Chennai.

In a letter to the meda, IPL chairman and Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla said, "Today, the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has written to the Prime Minister of India stating that she will not permit the participation of Sri Lankan players or umpires in matches in Chennai during Pepsi IPL 2013," he wrote.

"The IPL Governing Council met this afternoon to discuss the issue.  The security of all involved in the IPL, whether players, spectators or those working in the stadiums, is of paramount importance to the BCCI.  The Governing Council decided that Sri Lankan players will not participate in the Pepsi IPL 2013 League matches in Chennai and will advise the nine franchises accordingly," he wrote.

Earlier today, as protests in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils continued, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said that IPL matches would be permitted in the state only if there were no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff in these matches.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said BCCI may be advised by the Centre to prevail upon the IPL Organisers not to allow Sri Lankan players, officials, umpires and support staff to take part in the tournament in the state.