Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore was one of the first to raise an objection.
The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) recent decision to change its playing conditions during the season has upset a few teams. According to Cricbuzz, some franchises have already shared their concerns with the BCCI. The issue started when the BCCI decided to extend the match window by an extra hour to deal with rain interruptions.
With this change, a game that starts at 7:30 PM can now begin as late as 9:30 PM without losing any overs. Earlier, only one hour of extra time was allowed, and if the match did not begin by 8:30 PM, overs would have been cut. Now, even a five over match can start close to midnight if needed.
This rule was introduced after the IPL Governing Council meeting and was applied immediately with only eight league matches left in the tournament.
Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore was one of the first to raise an objection. He felt this change came too late and hurt their playoff chances. He pointed out that KKR’s match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 17 was washed out due to rain. If the extended time rule had existed earlier, there might have been enough time to play at least a five over match. That game was crucial for KKR and the washout ended their playoff hopes.
Mysore wrote to IPL COO Hemang Amin expressing that while changes might be necessary, the way they are applied lacks consistency. He explained that the weather forecast for the KKR vs RCB game clearly showed rain risks. Yet the match was abandoned without trying to extend the play window, something that is now being allowed for other matches.
“While these mid-season changes to the rules may be necessary under the circumstances, one would have expected more consistency in the way such changes are being applied,” Venky Mysore, the CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders, said in an email to Hemang Amin, the COO of the IPL.
“When the IPL re-started (on May 17), it was clear that the first game on May 17 KKR vs RCB was at high risk of being interrupted due to rain in B’lore. The forecast was there for all to see. Not only was the game washed out, but the additional 120 minutes now being applied may have provided a chance of at least a 5 over a side game (sic).”
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He also added that sudden rule changes during a tournament as big as the IPL send the wrong message and seem unfair to teams who are affected by the earlier rules.
“The washout ended KKR’s chances of making the playoffs. Such ad hoc decisions and inconsistencies of applying them are not appropriate for a tournament of this standing,” Mysore said, adding, “I am sure you also understand why we feel aggrieved.”
Other teams too feel the same way. Cricbuzz reports that some franchises believe making such a big change in the middle of the season is not ideal and could set a bad example for future tournaments.
KKR are currently sixth on the table with 12 points from 13 matches. The highest they can now reach is 14 points. Two of their matches have been washed out this season. The change in rule might help other teams but for KKR it came too late.
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