Karnataka CM Criticizes IPL Final Venue Decision Amid RCB's Victory
Shivakumar Congratulates RCB on Their IPL Win
Bengaluru. D.K. Shivakumar, who is set to become the Chief Minister of Karnataka, extended his congratulations to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for their consecutive IPL victory on Monday. However, he expressed his discontent regarding the decision to host the tournament's final in Ahmedabad, labeling it as an 'injustice' to the youth of the state. Shivakumar asserted that Bengaluru was unfairly deprived of the opportunity to host the final match.
RCB Secures Back-to-Back IPL Titles
In a remarkable display, RCB clinched their second consecutive IPL title on Sunday. Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, the team triumphed over the Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final held in Ahmedabad. Traditionally, as the defending champions, RCB was expected to host the final in Bengaluru. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that certain demands from the local association and administration fell outside their established guidelines, leading to the change in venue.
Shivakumar's Outrage Over Venue Change
Shivakumar voiced his frustration to reporters, stating, 'The final should have taken place in Karnataka (Bengaluru); we had given our consent. However, Gujarat leveraged its influence to take it away. We are making necessary preparations to ensure this does not happen in the future, though it will take some time.' He added, 'Our stadium and the youth have faced injustice, but the RCB team played exceptionally well. I congratulate them on behalf of Karnataka and all RCB fans. They have brought pride to our state.'
Concerns Over Ticket Distribution
In response to a question, Shivakumar reiterated that the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka were wronged by the decision to move the final to Ahmedabad. He remarked, 'A champion remains a champion... We have all moved past what happened last time and are looking forward to a new beginning. The success story is here, and everyone played remarkably well. I extend my congratulations to the RCB team.'
BCCI's Justification for Venue Change
Earlier, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal mentioned that the high demand for free tickets from the state government made it 'impossible' to host the final at the relatively smaller Bengaluru venue. However, the outgoing state home minister, G. Parameshwara, indicated that the BCCI likely moved the final to Ahmedabad for commercial viability reasons, clarifying that the change in venue was unrelated to the distribution of tickets to legislators.
Ticket Allocation for Legislators
In March, during his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister, Shivakumar announced that each legislator would receive three complimentary tickets for IPL matches, along with two complimentary tickets for international matches, with the option to purchase two additional tickets if necessary. This decision followed discussions with representatives from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which manages the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the city. Last June, a stampede occurred outside the stadium during a hastily organized victory celebration for RCB's first IPL title, resulting in the tragic loss of 11 fans.