Chartered flights save Dharamsala ODI

New Delhi: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) almost shifted the fourth ODI match between India and the West Indies - scheduled to be played on October 17 - out of Dharamshala.

According to sources, BCCI required 60 air tickets from Delhi to Dharamsala but only 20 were available between two flights on October 16. Due to the unavailability of seats on the flights, the board contemplated changing the venue to either Ranchi or some other place.

This is when the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) swung into action. The HPCA president Anurag Thakur, who is also the BCCI joint secretary, rushed in to organise chartered flights to fulfill the BCCI's requirement. "Thakur ensured that the flights were organised in time for the match," a top BCCI official told TOI on Saturday.

Was BCCI late in booking the flights? "Not exactly," was what the official said but then admitted that the tickets could have been booked earlier. Last year, TOI had reported that the HPCA had requested the then aviation minister Ajit Singh to increase the frequency of flight services between Delhi and Dharamsala.

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