MCA agree to allow Shahrukh Khan in Wankhede Stadium in order to host IPL 7 final

Shahrukh Khan will be allowed to enter Wankhede Stadium if IPL final is hosted in Mumbai

Last week in a controversial move, IPL 7 final was shifted to Bangalore from Mumbai by BCCI, without any clear reasons specified. But with Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) protesting to the apex cricket body, the IPL Governing Council is still to take a final call on the venue.

In a bid to get back the final, MCA has now agreed to all the 14 conditions put forward by the IPL Governing Council in order to host the final, including temporary lifting the 5-year ban on Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan from entering Wankhede Stadium, a Times of India report stated.

After a post-match ‘fight’ with security officials, Shah Rukh Khan was banned from entering Wankhede Stadium for 5 years in 2012 by MCA. But one of the conditions put forward by the Governing Council to MCA was allowing entry to all the owners and officials of all franchises for the final.

“We had received a letter from (IPL Chairman Ranjib) Biswal on May 13, and there were as many as 14 conditions. We have decided to accept all the conditions because the MCA president (Sharad Pawar) desired that the match should be played in Mumbai only. We hope that our decision will change the heart of the governing council and the match will be played in Mumbai,” MCA vice-president Ravi Savant said.

Savant, however, added that the ban will be lifted for Shah Rukh only temporary.

“They have given us letter for only this game (IPL final). All the conditions are for this game,” he said.

MCA are hoping that current BCCI president for IPL affairs, Sunil Gavaskar and IPL Governing Council member Ravi Shastri may help the association get back the hosting rights of the big final.

With MCA agreeing to all 14 demands put forward to it, it’s the Governing Council’s turn to make a move.

“We have not decided anything on the final. We are awaiting MCA’s reply. Once we get their letter, we will have an IPL GC meeting and a final call will be taken after that,” Sunil Gavaskar said.

When Bangalore was awarded the rights to host IPL final, MCA president Sharad Pawar had written a letter of protest to the BCCI, to which chairman Ranjib Biswal responded by mentioning the conditions which MCA would have to accept to get back the final.

A few of those conditions are: Allotting 85% of parking slots to IPL, no ambush marketing at the stadium, no fire crackers should be allowed after 10 pm, only a limited accreditations should be given to MCA members, access to a large number of hospitality box passes, among others.