Calcutta: The Eden could be one of eight venues to host matches of the IPL which is scheduled to be launched next April. “Calcutta could surely be one of the venues,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said on Saturday. It was learnt that stadiums with floodlight facilities will be considered. “The BCCI is setting some conditions… The grounds should have floodlight facilities and be big enough for good advertisement display,” Shah said. It was learnt that the four metros — Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai — will almost surely host IPL matches.

Lost passport

Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat lost his passport after reaching the city on Friday morning. The 25-year old, who flew in as a replacement for Umar Gul and went straight to the Eden, lodged a ‘missing diary’ at the Maidan police station on Saturday. A Pakistan team official also confirmed the development. “After he reached the hotel from the Eden, he noticed that his passport was missing. We searched everywhere but to no avail… We will inform the Pakistan High Commission on Sunday… ” he said.

After overwhelming success of his two academies in Mumbai, chief selector DIlip Vengsarkar has picked Pune as his next centre. The Pune-based Dilip Vengsarkar Academy at Thergaon (20km off Pune) will be functional by October 2008. “The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has given us six acres of land in lease for a period of three years. Like Elf and LIC academies, this will cater to the boys in the age group of under-13, under-15 and under-17,” Vengsarkar said.