Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, the IPL governing council has announced a revised schedule for the remainder of the tournament, including a change in venues for several key matches — most notably the final. Initially, both the opening match and the final of the 2025 IPL season were scheduled to be held at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. However, the final has now been moved, sparking a fresh wave of controversy.
While the BCCI has cited potential rainfall in Kolkata as the reason for the relocation, West Bengal’s Sports Minister Aroop Biswas is calling foul, alleging deeper political motives behind the decision.
“Rain is just an excuse. There’s a conspiracy here,” Biswas said. He also questioned how the BCCI could predict weather conditions before the meteorological department had even issued an official forecast. “The BCCI and IPL Governing Council claimed there would be rain, but the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) was told by the weather office that no significant rainfall is expected between May 20 and 30,” he added.
Biswas also pointed out that the forecast for after May 26 hadn’t even been released yet. “How did the IPL Governing Council become weather experts? Our state was set to host the IPL playoffs and the final. Now, for political reasons, it has been taken away. Why should Bengal’s cricket fans be deprived?”
Adding to the political undertone, BJP MP from West Bengal, Sukanta Majumdar, offered a different explanation — claiming the final was moved due to law and order concerns. In response, Biswas highlighted the inconsistency, noting that the IPL statement attributed the decision solely to weather conditions, not security. “One hand of the central government deprives Bengal of funds, and now cricket fans are being misled with conflicting justifications,” he said.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma also dismissed law and order concerns, stating:
“Eden Gardens successfully hosted seven IPL matches this season with around 60,000 spectators each game, without a single incident. We’ve coordinated closely with CAB, and the only minor adjustment made was on Ram Navami for public safety — and even then, the match wasn’t relocated, only the timing was changed. Kolkata’s law and order has always been solid. There seems to be another motive at play.”
The IPL final is now set to be held on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This marks the third time in four years that the final will be played at that venue. Minister Biswas raised questions about this recurring preference and the BCCI’s weather reasoning:
“How is the BCCI so confident there will be no rain in Ahmedabad on June 3? Eden Gardens has one of the most advanced drainage systems in the country. It hosted seven matches this season without any issues. Weather cannot be the real reason.”
Due to the revised schedule, four playoff matches and one league match have been moved. The first playoff will now take place on May 29 in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, followed by the Eliminator on May 30 at the same venue. The second qualifier and the final will be held in Ahmedabad on June 1 and 3, respectively. Originally, all four of these matches were to be hosted in Hyderabad and Kolkata.
