Battle For IPL Final: Lift Wankhede Ban on SRK, Ranjib Biswal to MCA

Responding to the Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) letter which sought reasons for shifting the Indian Premier League's (IPL) June 1 final from Wankhede to the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal has put forward several conditions which they expect MCA to fulfill if they want to host the big game.

It is learnt that one of the 15 conditions that Biswal & Co have put forward is to allow all team owners to enter the Wankhede Stadium, thereby indicating that the MCA should lift the five-year ban on Shah Rukh Khan if Kolkata Knight Riders make it to the summit clash.

MCA had slapped a five-year ban on the Bollywood super star after a scuffle with security guards at the Wankhede Stadium in 2012. The incident took place after Shah Rukh, accused of walking on the field after KKR beat Mumbai Indians, was asked to vacate the ground.

He refused and got allegedly abusive with some officials. The MCA officials, who accused the actor of being drunk, lodged a police complaint against Shah Rukh and later slapped a five-year ban on him from entering the premises.

Shah Rukh, however, denied being drunk and clarified that he was reacting to the "obnoxious" behaviour of officials at the stadium. When KKR last played at the Wankhede, Shah Rukh along with the other co-owners of the team visited the team hotel and watched the match on television from there.

The other conditions that the IPL authorities have put forward are: > 85 per cent car parking space for VIPs, BCCI and IPL members

> The number of volunteers to be reduced

> Rs 50 lakh paid to Mumbai Police to be reduced

>More hospitality boxes for the final

> Advertisement rights at the stadium

MCA's Joint Honorary Secretary Nitin Dalal confirmed receiving a letter from the IPL chairman. "We have received a letter from Mr Ranjib Biswal wherein they have placed several conditions. We have to reply to them whether we can fulfill the same. We will take it up in the urgent Managing Committee meeting on Thursday," Dalal told mid-day on Tuesday.

No decision yet: Sunny

Although Dalal did not reveal the conditions, he was confident of the MCA fulfilling them. Yesterday, Sunil Gavaskar, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president for the IPL, was quoted as saying to reporters that no decision had been taken on reversing the venue of the title clash.

IPL GC soon

Biswal said a Governing Council meeting would be called soon. "The decision would be taken only in the Governing Council meeting. We have to check the availability of members before calling for the meeting," said Biswal, who was tight-lipped about the possibility of the final being at Wankhede.

The MCA was left red faced after the IPL Governing Council decided to shift the final from Mumbai. MCA shot off a letter demanding reasons for shifting the venue. MCA officials and volunteers also handed over their accreditation cards to the BCCI, protesting the decision.