Officials have decided to move Indian Premier League (IPL) matches from Chennai after violent protests in the southern city over sharing of river waters between two states.
The remaining six matches scheduled for Chennai will be played in Pune.
Protesters in Tamil Nadu state have been opposing the staging of IPL matches, saying it will divert attention of young people from the issue of sharing of Cauvery River waters.
"We had little option really. We did not want to deny the cricket fans of Tamil Nadu the opportunity to support their team and savour the cricket, but the local police were not willing to provide us adequate security," IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla told The Hindu newspaper.
The river dispute has long been a source of conflict between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Both governments argue they need more water for their farmers to irrigate fields.
Three protesters were detained on Tuesday for hurling shoes inside Chennai's Chepauk Stadium during an IPL match.
