Indian Premier League chairman Ranjib Biswal clarified on Thursday that sound and fireworks restriction in Mumbai was just one of the many reasons to shift the final from the commercial capital to Bangalore.
The Mumbai police has a regulation about sound permission till 10 pm and hosting the closing ceremony without a sound and light show would not have been possible.
The Mumbai Cricket Association had assured the IPL governing council of getting the permission by Saturday but the IPL management had different plans.
"It was not the only reason; the GC felt we should take cricket to different venues. That is why Kolkata got a play-off and Mumbai hosting two matches. We wanted to spread four matches in four different cities. There were no condition or riders. We just pointed their shortcomings which they had not done," said Biswal, after the IPL GC meet in Kolkata on Thursday.
IPL Chief Operating Officer (CEO) Sundar Raman also insisted that the Bangalore shift was more to do with the rotation policy of venues rather than targeting a particular stadium or city.
"Most venues in India lost out on matches such as Eden Gardens. Eden had not got the play-off had we stuck to the idea. After a lot of discussions, we had to keep in mind that Mumbai had hosted three IPL finals in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and Bangalore never hosted a final. These were collective factors," said Raman.
There was also high praise for Kolkata as a venue in the GC meeting. Members unanimously felt that the management and hospitality at the Eden is top class and this year's IPL is a big hit with more than half the matches played in India despite the general elections.
"In a year of General Elections, we are happy that 60 percent of matches were played in India. It was never about anything else. By large we had a wonderful tournament. As far as the final judgement goes, it's left for you to tell us," said Raman.
Image: Indian Premier League Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman (left) and chairman Ranjib Biswal address the media in Kolkata on Thursday.
Photograph: BCCI
