Will Chennai host the IPL final: CoA puts the ball in TNCA court

With the three stands at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium sealed for the last seven years, the broadcaster and the Board are concerned about hosting the high-profile fixture.

Will Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram stadium host the IPL final on May 12?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will hold a discussion with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) on whether Chennai will get to host the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL), scheduled on May 12.

With the three stands at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium sealed for the last seven years, the broadcaster and the Board is concerned about hosting the high-profile fixture. As a tradition, the defending champion hosts the IPL opener and the final.

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The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) met in New Delhi on Monday, but a decision was not reached. “The CoA has decided to have a word with the TNCA officials. They need to talk to the state government and get the necessary permission about those three stands. Once we hear from them, a final call will be taken,” one of the senior BCCI officials told Sportstar from New Delhi.

In case Chennai misses out on the final and the play-offs, the right to host the final could be given to Hyderabad as Sunrisers Hyderabad was the runner-up.  As far as the play-offs are concerned, along with Hyderabad, Bengaluru could also be considered as a possible option. “The people in Chennai are extremely excited about the IPL and the Board has to keep everything in mind before finalising on the venue,” the official said.

“In case of a final, if you have three stands out of bounds for the general public, then it is a concern. But we are optimistic that the TNCA will be able to sort out the issue,” the official said.

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It was the closure of these three stands that robbed Chennai of matches in the 2016 T20 World Cup. Only the Women’s fixtures were played in the city. The three stands were closed by the Chennai Corporation as it alleged that there were discrepancies at the time of reconstructing the stands before the World Cup in 2011.

The only time the stands were opened was during the India-Pakistan fixture in 2012 and it was called as a ‘one-time’ affair.

Last year Chennai lost on hosting Chennai Super Kings’ home games on account of the Cauvery water dispute. As a result, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team had to shift its home matches to Pune.