XtraTime Web Desk: BCCI decided that only two team captains will be present in the openning ceremony of Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings captain will be there as they will play the first matc of this edition of IPL on 7 th of April . Other six captains don’t need to attend the ceremony as some of them have matches on 8 th April.
All the eight captains will shoot a special video on April 6 and join the team after the shooting. Till last year, the convention was to have an opening ceremony a day before the first match.
Till last year, the convention was to have an opening ceremony a day before the first match, which captains would attend and sign the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ pledge.
This year it was decided at the IPL Governing meeting that opening ceremony would be held in Mumbai on April 7 before the first match between MI and CSK.
However the goof up happened because senior IPL officials didn’t do their homework on the logistical aspect of four other franchises who have matches next day.
On April 8, there is a double header with Delhi Daredevils taking on Kings XI Punjab in Mohali at 4 pm while RCB will meet KKR in Kolkata at 8 pm.
“IPL team should have done their homework. They are calling Gautam Gambhir and Ravichandran Ashwin a day before an afternoon match. That’s absolute lack of homework,” a senior BCCI official said.
“Sample this. If Ashwin and Gambhir would have attended the opening ceremony, they could only boarded a 9pm flight from Mumbai to Delhi as there are no late evening flights from Mumbai to Chandigarh.
“Now from Delhi, they can’t take a flight to Chandigarh on Sunday morning because the airport would remain close. So either they travel by car during the night, which is a dangerous proposition or in the morning of the match to play at 4 pm. The less said, better it is,” the senior official fumed.