feroz shah kotla
Afghanistan players celebrate the fall of an England wicket during their WT20 match at the Feroz Shah Kotla, March 23IANS

The DDCA (Delhi and District Cricket Association) has been given the clearance to host the much-anticipated semifinal clash in the ICC World T20 2016, scheduled for March 30. The verdict came following a DDCA meeting with (Retd) Justice Mukul Mudgal Wednesday.

The fate of the match was uncertain right from the start after the Delhi High Court strongly mentioned that the RP Mehra block in the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium is not safe enough to be given a no-objection certificate (NOC) and the occupancy certificate from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). 

However, following a meeting with Mudgal, the Supreme Court-appointed observer for DDCA, DDCA working President Chetan Chouhan, treasurer Ravinder Manchanda, and an ICC legal adviser, things have come out positive.

"The DDCA stands have been cleared till 2017. Not only this [semifinal] match but all the IPL matches will go ahead as planned," a DDCA official was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. "Decks were cleared after Justice Mudgal was convinced that there would no legal problem in holding the matches."

The RP Mehra block, which is also used by media and broadcasters, has a seating capacity of up to 2200.