Top Sri Lankan players were withdrawn from the Chennai matches of the high-profile IPL. This follows Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's refusal to host them in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state.Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh making it clear 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. The IPL tournament begins on the 3rd of April and will conclude on May the 26th.