Aaditya Thackeray slams ICC for choosing Ahmedabad as T20 World Cup final venue

Former Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray. Filepic

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday targeted the International Cricket Council (ICC) for choosing Ahmedabad as the venue for the T20 Cricket World Cup Final. While slamming the BCCI, the son of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray alleged favouritism towards a specific state in a global sport event.

While taking it to social media platform X, Aaditya Thackeray asked why Mumbai can't be the venue for the T20 World Cup final to be held early next year.

Posting on X, he wrote, "So the T20 World Cup fixture is out. Guess where the final is scheduled? Ahmedabad. What's this fascination with pulling every single final there? Has this been a traditional cricket venue?"

The International Cricket Council, while releasing the schedule for the T20 World Cup next year, finalised eight venues - five in India and three in Sri Lanka - that will host the 55 matches of the tournament, as reported by news agency PTI.

The 20-team tournament, which includes debutants Italy, will be divided into four groups of five, with eight teams progressing to the Super Eight stage. Four teams will then make the semi-finals, slated to be held in Kolkata or Colombo and Mumbai.

The political scenario in Mumbai, however, stirred up within a few minutes after the ICC released the schedule. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader while alleging that BCCI and ICC have not been neutral in terms of venue selection across the country wrote that, ‘Why not Mumbai? Wankhede will be the absolute best venue for a T20 World Cup final. Remember 2011? The one in Ahmedabad has already hosted a World Cup final. Expecting the ICC not to indulge in politics and favouritism."

While hinting at political favouritism as the factor to choose the venue for the final, Aditya Thackeray also asserted that, "Likewise, Eden Gardens-Kolkata, MA Chidambaram Stadium - Chennai, IS Bindra - Mohali… All of these are good to host the T20 World Cup Finals."

The Indian government has barred all bilateral sporting engagements with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April this year but has permitted contests between the two nations in multinational events.

The final will take place in either Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on Pakistan's qualification, as per PTI.

The Wankhede Stadium in south Mumbai has a seating capacity of 33,500, while the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad can host 1.32 lakh cricket fans.

(With inputs from PTI)