IPL final to stay in Bangalore

The IPL final on June 1 will stay in Bangalore as scheduled after the BCCI declined the Mumbai Cricket Association's request to reinstate the match at the Wankhede Stadium. The IPL governing council had declined the request following a meeting on Saturday night.

"The governing council considered the MCA's request but decided to stick to the original decision to move the final from Mumbai to Bangalore," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel told ESPNcricinfo.

MCA joint secretary Nitin Dalal expressed disappointment over the decision. "So far, the MCA hasn't been informed anything officially. But if they (BCCI) have made the decision (to stick to Bangalore), then it's absolutely disappointing both for the MCA and more importantly for the cricket fans of Mumbai. The MCA had assured the IPL of making all the necessary arrangements well in time for the final."

The drama started a day after the IPL governing council moved the final from the Wankhede Stadium to the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, thus breaking the tradition of letting the home ground of previous year's champion team host the final. The decision sparked protests the MCA, with its president Sharad Pawar asking for reasons for the switch. Two days after the IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal responded, the MCA managing committee decided to accept all the "conditions" put forth by the IPL in a bid to regain the final.

Interestingly, Biswal said he had never put any riders for the final to be shifted back to Mumbai. The MCA managing committee, it is understood, interpreted Biswal's reply as if its content had referred to conditions. The MCA therefore formally requested the IPL to reinstate the final to Wankhede since it had formally agreed to all the conditions it believed had been put in place by the IPL chairman.