'We cannot have fans at the receiving end' – Dhumal on IPL final shift

The IPL said hosting a marquee game like the final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru had become untenable given the dynamics involving the local association and the state government.

"Since it is a high-pressure game and fans will be travelling from across the globe for the event, we thought it appropriate to host it in Ahmedabad," IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal told Cricbuzz on Thursday.

The BCCI has moved the final out of Bengaluru to the larger Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Elaborating on the point, Dhumal said, "Primarily it was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru only, but we had asked the state association about their plans in light of the new law regarding complimentary tickets for all legislators. They gave us a detailed note on the commitments they would have towards their members and the implications of the new law that has come into force.

"After that, it was realised that very few tickets would actually be available for the fans. There were similar observations during the league matches as well, where only a limited number of tickets were available to the public because a large chunk was being consumed by commitments made to the government and other members."

Dhumal, who is in his fourth year as IPL chairman, said it was a one-off decision and that the normal allocation of matches would resume from next season onward. "It is a one-off thing. Normally, the precedent is that the association of the league winners gets to host the final, while the runners-up host the two qualifiers. That is how it was originally planned.

"But given the extraordinary situation, where there would have been difficulties for the BCCI in accommodating fans wanting to witness the IPL final, this step has been taken."

The IPL chief also revealed that an ICC Board meeting is scheduled in Ahmedabad, and the BCCI wants to host the international guests at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which has extensive corporate and hospitality facilities.

"On top of that, there was an ICC Board meeting scheduled in Qatar which could not take place because of the ongoing West Asia war. That meeting also now has to be held in Ahmedabad. Since representatives of all international boards will be coming, and the Ahmedabad stadium has extensive hospitality facilities to accommodate guests arriving from across the globe, we felt it would be appropriate to stage the IPL final in Ahmedabad."

Dhumal conceded that it was unfortunate that Royal Challengers Bengaluru would lose the advantage of playing at home should they reach the final – a privilege they had earned by winning last year's championship. "Definitely. That is why we did our best to ensure that the opening game was held in Bangalore, despite all the challenges they faced from the government following the incident that happened last year.

"We always try to maintain the norms and precedents of the IPL, where the opening game and the final are hosted there. But given this extraordinary situation, the new law and the commitments they had to honour, we found it difficult to accommodate our fans. We cannot have fans at the receiving end in a tournament of this scale."

BCCI to issue guidelines for stricter adherence of PMOA rules

Dhumal also confirmed that the BCCI will issue a fresh set of guidelines for IPL teams, owners, players and officials, something board secretary Devajit Saikia had announced earlier in the day. "I believe some reports have come to the honorary secretary regarding certain guidelines not being followed by players or franchises, particularly with respect to PMOA areas and other prescribed norms. Accordingly, we have decided to issue guidelines for stricter adherence to all those rules and parameters so that the officiating standards of the IPL are not compromised."

Dhumal reiterated that the BCCI will consider reverting to the full home-and-away format for all 10 teams after the current broadcast cycle ends next year – featuring nine home games, nine away games and a total of 94 matches overall. "We are hopeful. We now have a bigger window available for the IPL. Given the bilateral commitments in the previous FTP cycle, it was not possible to increase the number of games earlier.

"If we had increased the number of matches within the existing window, it would have resulted in more double-headers, which does not augur well for broadcasters or fans. Keeping that in mind, it would be more appropriate to first secure a larger window and then look at increasing the number of games from 74 to 94. That would also give us the opportunity to ensure an equal number of home and away games for all teams against every opposition."

The IPL chairman also said the regulators are open to revisiting the Impact Player rule, which has faced opposition from several team managements and players. "Whenever there is a change or a new concept introduced, there will always be debate around it. But we have seen that the Impact Player rule has worked well for the tournament.

"At the same time, if at any point, in the interest of the tournament, we feel there is a need to review it, we can certainly do so – not necessarily to change or alter it, but to assess it. We are always open to feedback, and that feedback is aimed at improving the competitiveness of the tournament."