CCI loses IPL matches for its members

The Cricket Club of India (CCI) didn’t compromise at all over ticketing-issue of club’s members’ and Children enclosure and as a result Brabourne Stadium lost out as the host of ten Indian Premier League (IPL) matches including semifinals and finals after being dropped as a choice of the venue by the Mumbai franchise owners Reliance.

CCI’s firm stand became Wankhede Stadium’s gain, as the latter will now host all the ties alongwith the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Mumbai franchise owners Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) had a disagreement over availability of a couple of enclosures for the club members following which the deal couldn’t be materialised.

It is learnt that the conditions laid down by the IPL and Reliance Industries Limited, the owners of the Mumbai franchise, were unacceptable as the agreement states that 80% of all sitting area must be available to the franchise, and the remaining 20% to the concerned local association, which also includes MCA, BCCI, and the IPL in this case.

CCI cleared its stand on Friday at a press conference that the RIL have expressed their inability to play matches at the CCI.

"RIL approached us in February for the ground, we offered them the stadium but without the complete Club House and the Members' Children Enclosure,” Kamaljeet Rajpal, the chief executive officer of CCI said while addressing the press meet.

"They informed us on Thursday that they don't comply with our conditions."

According to CCI President Raj Singh Dungarpur, “Each member of the club has got the right of watching all the events from the Club House without paying any charges as per CCI rules. "

"The CCI’s executive committee has collectively decided that if the members are not allowed to watch the match from the Club House free of charge, the CCI will not host any match," Dungarpur added.

Clearing the air over CCI-BCCI-MCA dispute that might rise over this issue, Dungarpur said, “ There is no question of confrontation with the BCCI and MCA whatsoever as we have an excellent relationship with both of them.”

"It is just that the members of the staging authority wouldn't be able to watch the match and that's not right because it is the inherent right of the CCI members. There is no misunderstanding between all of us and we will continue to host matches for BCCI,” Dungarpur added.