The Mamata Banerjee government is bristling at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to shift the IPL final and a play- off match from Kolkata to Ahmedabad, in contravention of conventions that dictate that the final is played at the home city of last year’s winners.
The playoff match is scheduled for June 1, and the final on June 3. Aroop Biswas, West Ben- gal Sports Minister and a close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday accused the BJP of engaging in “cheap poli- tics” following the BCCI’s decision to relocate an IPL playoff match and the final away from Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Addressing a press conference along with Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, Biswas expressed displeasure over the revised schedule, which he said has “deprived” Kolkata of hosting the IPL final.
The final has been shifted to Ahmedabad, while the Mullanpur Stadium in Punjab will host one playoff match. Aroop Biswas pointed to discrepancies between the reasons cited by a BJP leader and the BCCI. “BJP leader and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar posted on X that the matches have been shifted due to law and order problems.
The BCCI and IPL’s governing body have claimed that a new venue for the playoff match and final has been decided based on the weather’s condition. Who is telling the truth – BJP or BCCI? It is totally a politically motivated decision,” he said.
Biswas refuted claims of law and order issues or adverse weather conditions as reasons for the shift, calling them “lame excuses” He added: “100 percent of matches in Kolkata have been played without a single incident.” City police commissioner Manoj Verma said: “Nine matches were scheduled to be played in Kolkata. A post on X pointed out that the match has been shifted due to law and order issues.
As the Commissioner of Police, I am here to say that seven matches have been played here, no incident has been reported. These matches saw a footfall of more than 60,000.” Verma claimed that neither the general public nor organizers had raised any concerns about law and order. He also noted that the BCCI’s official communication did not cite law and order as a reason for the change, suggesting “there could be another intention”.
He recalled one instance during Ram Navami when a match date was rescheduled—from May 6 to May 8—so it could be played in Kolkata. “It shows there is no problem related to law and order in the city,” he said.
Biswas further challenged the weather-related justification, presenting documents indicating that specific weather forecasts for Kolkata between May 20-30 would only be available after May 14, and forecasts for June 1-4 only after May 26. “No forecast has been issued for the first week of June in 2025 in the public domain. Since when did the BCCI become a weather expert?” “We register our protest. The CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) should have raised their voice against it,” Biswas said, adding: “It is the IPL’s rule that last year’s champions’ home ground will host the final. But now there is an unwritten rule that the finals will be played in Ahmedabad. In the last four years, the finals have been played at the Ahmedabad stadium thrice.”
