Hyderabad has been confirmed as the venue for the IPL final on May 12 after Chennai Super Kings failed to provide a suitable solution to the long-standing issue of the three disputed – and closed – stands at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
As ESPNcricinfo had reported last week, Super Kings – the defending champions and, therefore, the rightful hosts of the final – had been given till Friday, April 19, to inform the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators and the IPL Governing Council of the way around the problem. They failed, and the final has now gone to Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the home venue of last season’s runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad.
According to the latest update, Chennai will host Qualifier 1, while the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be held in Visakhapatnam.
Super Kings have hosted four home games, including the season opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore, this year with the stands closed. However, the IPL Governing Council was concerned about the bad optics the vacant stands present, especially on TV, for the marquee matches.
The Chennai corporation had closed the three stands – I, J and K, adding up to roughly 12,000 seats – in 2012 as there were discrepancies when the stadium was refurbished before the World Cup in 2011. Only once since then have they been opened to the public, after Tamil Nadu Cricket Association got special permission to do so for an India v Pakistan ODI in December 2012.
More to follow…
Source: ESPN Crickinfo