CoA cuts budget for IPL opening ceremony by Rs 20 crore
CHENNAI: The Committee of Administrators (CoA) is understood to have rejected certain proposals of IPL Governing Council regarding this year’s opening ceremony, which was scheduled to be held in Mumbai on April 6.
Sources in the know told this newspaper that the Supreme Court-appointed panel has asked the council to cut down the budget for the opening ceremony to `30 crore instead of `50 crore, as proposed by the IPL governing council. It has ruled out selling tickets separately for the opening ceremony.
to the initial proposed budget
of `50 crore
The panel headed by Vinod Rai has also dismissed the idea of holding the opening ceremony at Brabourne Stadium (Cricket Club of India) and said that it should take place on April 7 at Wankhede Stadium, which hosts the first match between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. The CoA wants the opening ceremony to be held on this day, before the match, so that spectators don’t pay separately.
These proposals were put forward to CoA at a meeting in Mumbai last week. Rai objected to the proposed budget of `50 crore.
It is reliably learnt that the Governing Council had lined up a top international pop star for the ceremony and also had plans to sell tickets, as several Bollywood stars are also expected to feature in the gala ceremony. But the CoA cut the budget to `30 crore, throwing some of their plans in disarray.
“Last season, because it was the 10th edition, the IPL had opening ceremonies in all eight centres. This time, we planned only a grand one, featuring a leading pop star. Though CoA has not said no, it has asked us to reduce the budget and host it at Wankhede on April 7. The matter will be discussed at the Governing Council and only then we will be able to finalise details,” a top official working on the IPL told Express.
CoA is also against the idea of having the opening ceremony a day before the first match and selling tickets for it separately, even though BCCI was keen on the money that would have been earned through gate entry.
Instead, CoA has asked BCCI to have the ceremony before the first match so that fans don’t end up spending twice.
“We thought of hosting a gala event with a concert. In the past we have seen that if it happens at the ground, there is no connect with fans. If held elsewhere, we thought we could attract more audience. That was the idea behind having a separate event,” an IPL GC member said.
In the past, opening ceremonies have taken place a day before the event, with all captains present. That is unlikely to happen this time around.
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com