Mumbai object to IPL final being moved

India

The Mumbai Cricket Association have reacted angrily to the Indian Premier League's decision to move the final of this year's contest to Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Mumbai Cricket Association have reacted angrily to the Indian Premier League's decision to move the final of this year's contest to Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The final is usually held at the home of the defending champions, so Mumbai in this case, but the IPL have decided to spread the love, as it were, after the first leg was held in the UAE and not in India.

"Considering that twenty matches of the ongoing Pepsi IPL season were played overseas, the GC [governing council] took a decision to try and take the Playoffs to as many different stadia as possible. Several venues had expressed their interest in hosting the Playoffs," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said.

But the Wankhede Stadium bosses are not impressed, and will lodge a complaint at the next IPL governing body meeting, where they will ask for an explanation for the 'sudden decision.'

One reason for the move could be that the Mumbai authorities do not allow fireworks to go off after 10pm, which will prevent celebratory blasts at midnight once the game is done. Also, the cost of policing is much higher in Mumbai, nearly double that of Bangalore.

But a MCA official said on Cricinfo: "One meeting with Pawar and the state government could have made an exception and allowed the customary celebration with firecrackers around midnight after the final. And perhaps the police charges could also be brought down."

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