Bangar has brought the best out of youngsters - Bailey

	Bailey: 'Sanjay and Sri's [fielding coach R Sridhar] knowledge of Indian players has been exceptional' © BCCI Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: George Bailey | Sanjay Bangar Series/Tournaments: Indian T20 League Teams: Australia | India | Punjab T20

Sitting pretty on the top of the points table, Kings XI Punjab look set to make it to the qualifiers after a dominant run in the tournament and with five matches in hand. While their overseas batsmen and domestic bowlers have been instrumental in their seven wins, their captain George Bailey believes the coach Sanjay Bangar had made a lot of difference with his knowledge of domestic players.

"Sanjay and Sri's [R Sridhar, fielding coach] knowledge of Indian players has been exceptional," Bailey told ESPNcricinfo. "They have focused a lot on the younger players who have performed, particularly the guys who haven't played much [earlier]. A lot of Indians wouldn't have known about them but they have obviously seen something and their knowledge has been really important, one in selecting them and two, bringing the best out of them."

Apart from grooming the uncapped seamer Sandeep Sharma, Kings XI surprised Royal Challengers Bangalore on their home ground with offspinner Shivam Sharma, who struck twice and conceded only 26 runs in four overs.

The season's records for the leading run-scorer, the top three individual scores, the highest strike-rate (among batsmen who have faced at least 50 balls) and most sixes all belong to Glenn Maxwell, who has scored four fifties, the smallest score among them being 89. David Miller is not far away with a strike-rate of 162.29 and 297 runs from nine innings. Sandeep has chipped in with 13 wickets, removing batsmen like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli twice each, while Akshar Patel, another uncapped bowler, has conceded only 6.26 per over.

"We've got a well-balanced team," Bailey said. "We have three batsmen in terrific form and we have shown consistent bowling and fielding performances and we've got a good bunch of guys in the coaching team."

When asked if he expected to be on top of the table throughout, Bailey said: "As a team nobody has any expectations of where you want to be. We just want to be consistent in the way we've played. T20 is obviously a game that involves a bit of luck and if you start playing well then the confidence and momentum are really important. We've won a few games and we've lost two too. Sometimes that's just going to happen, you have got to be convinced with the way you play."

Kings XI won their first five matches, all in the UAE. Their first defeat was in India, against Mumbai Indians, when Harbhajan Singh dismissed Maxwell and Bailey. The captain said there was hardly any difference between the two host countries when it came to pitches.

"There's not a huge difference in the pitches in the UAE, where they were a little slower. I think we're starting to see the wickets here turn a little bit more, so spin is probably having slightly more influence compared to the UAE. Grounds and conditions change quite a bit but there was not a huge difference."

Vishal Dikshit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Give it large for the ECB mix tape

The summer anthems playlist for the NatWest Blast encapsulates the sound of summer for cricket supporters across the UK. Or does it?

Everyone remembers their first mix tape. Mine was a mess; an unholy amalgamation of pop, racial profanity-riddled hip hop (plus Will Smith), rock - both prog and indie - and Royksopp. Music was taken to new lows, as J-Kwon led into Six Pence None The Richer before stumbling into Creed, then death by ambient Swedish sample. Such an eclectic, borderline horrendous mix was only destined for ridicule.

When the ECB offered all 18 counties the chance to put forward one song, then enlisted the public to decide the best 10, the danger was that the NatWest T20 Blast Playlist might plumb lower depths.

"Our search for the NatWest T20 Blast Summer Anthems Playlist has given us 10 songs that really encapsulate the spirit of summer for cricket fans," beamed ECB chief executive David Collier. Unverified sources revealed Collier was heard to exclaim a combination of the words "big" and "tune" as he played Derbyshire's nomination, Levels by Avicii, on loop for an entire afternoon.

Music seems to be the overriding theme for this year's competition, as evidenced by The Summer Sounds of Cricket - a glimpse of a post-apocalyptic future where Marcus Trescothick is our overlord on the ones and twos and county cricket's finest fight for our survival by rubbing together stumps, presumably to give us fire. Sign me up.

Quite how diplomatic discussions were over each team's choices is anyone's guess. For the time being, we can only speculate, and the thought of Dougie Brown locking his players in an Edgbaston changing room until the Bears settled on Flo Rida's Good Feeling is one I want to keep. So, too, is the vision of a disgruntled John Bracewell, flanked by Gidmans, storming Lord's and demanding answers as to how Duke Dumont's steel drums were overlooked?

First, the good news - Gangnam Style failed to make the preliminary 18. Sigh as you might - PSY no doubt will - but, quite simply, the county system's lack of early season West Indian influence nipped this in the bud. Few have taken to it with as much gusto as the boys in maroon, even displaying its emotional dexterity with a series of angry trots towards James Faulkner during their dramatic win over Australia in the recent World Twenty20.

Of those that didn't make the cut, the worst has to be Worcestershire Rapid's Dibby Dibby Sound. If you're not familiar, consider yourself lucky. But, if curiosity does get the better of you, be prepared for two days of that thumping beat reverberating about your skull as you fight the urge to replace every other word with "dibby", like a Smurf that surfaced too quickly. This recommendation would not have happened if Alan Richardson's was still around.

The final 10 has a bit of everything: hits, a dash of floor-fillers and the odd forgotten classic.

That Surrey's minions opted for Happy, which collected the most fan votes, might be down to their youthful makeup, allied to the fact that most of them spend the off-season in Australia's grade system. From Hobart to Brisbane, singlets and thongs clapped along to Pharrell Williams' obsession with roofless rooms while enjoying England's seemingly bottomless despair Down Under.

Yorkshire nail a tried and tested hit at number two with the Rolling Stones and Start Me Up. However, while a sensible choice, it has been a staple of Twenty20 cricket in this country for a good while. Heaven forbid, it suggests they did not exactly spend days thinking about it.

Thanks, then, to defending champions Northants who redress the balance with The Boys Are Back In Town down at nine. Nottinghamshire go for Embrace's escalating Ashes; a spine tingler that has scored at so many different sports that there is every chance it is by Kasabian.

Four to six is a combination that would not be out of place at a student union; perfectly encapsulating those first well-oiled steps onto the dance floor and that post 3am jaunt for glorified vices that inevitably end with a kebab/chicken parm/fried pizza depending on your whereabouts.

Middlesex form a circle, arms around one another, before jumping in unison to The Fratellis. Avicci hits - Collier goes wild - and then Place Your Hands (Reef) hits, just before the light comes back on to illuminate your collective shame. But it's OK because you've put your hands up.

The wiser, older heads of Somerset bring back some semblance of class with The Kinks before Hampshire undo it all. For a team that have shown an intrinsic appreciation of short-form success, Hampshire's introduction of Pitbull, who once rhymed the word 'Kodak' with 'Kodak', should be subject to an inquiry. That they manage to drag Ke$ha into the mix is the most impressive showcasing of mediocre talent since the Sydney Thunder. Bringing it all to a close, Leicestershire redeem things with a timeless worldie in Mungo Jerry's In The Summertime.

Whether this focus eventually manifests itself into onsite DJs remains to be seen. As the World Twenty20 showed, there was a lot to be said for a Bangladeshi man going through a midlife crisis, imploring spectators to quench his thirst for "noise".

Of course, it is easy to criticise Twenty20s showbiz frills, with our bitter in hand. Crictainment is not something totally embraced in this country, like sex on TV or tea out of a glass. Even when we tried, all we could muster were "walk on" girls and pizza on a sofa. We do not have the consistent weather to appease, nor the grassy banks to frolic. But what we do have is an appreciation of a good night out.

If T20 Friday nights are to be something, then let it be this: rapturous crowds living for the weekend, as Avicci blares through the PA systems and David Collier giving it large. You never know, it might actually work.

Vithushan Ehantharajah would be ESPNcricinfo's music critic if we had one

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RCB, Daredevils seek last gasps

Match facts

Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

There won't be much to choose between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils when the two meet in Bangalore on Tuesday. But unlike a top-of-the-table clash between two formidable teams putting up their best defences against each other, this is really a contest between two sinking ships to see which one holds out for longer. Both have lost six out of their last seven matches, both have had their marquee players reduced to mere spectators, both have appeared lost in their strategies, both have taken hits at home despite playing more home games than others and barring a mathematical miracle, both are out of the league, three weeks before the final. Still, the match gives one team a chance to survive a little longer.

Royal Challengers are playing their third straight game before the doting Bangalore fans but it can only be counted an advantage if you win. The dream batting order, which includes four top internationals, has only flickered sporadically and the news of Chris Gayle's shoulder injury which may keep him out only aggravates their problems. Their bowling didn't look part of the problem earlier in the tournament but the manner in which they have buckled in the last three games points to further cracks.

Their opponents aren't in a happy place either. Kevin Pietersen pushed himself to the top of the order, just like Virat Kohli did the other day, and managed some feel-good runs but it is his team's stubbornness in holding back two of their best players - JP Duminy and Kedar Jadhav - that has been hurting them. Their bowling attack looks disconnected, rather than a unit. They played four straight games in Delhi and lost all four as their bowlers failed to defend the totals every single time.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bangalore: LLLWL (most recent first)
Delhi Daredevils: LLLLW

Where they stand

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Seventh, with three wins in nine games
Delhi Daredevils: Eighth (last), with two wins in eight games

Previous encounter

They opened the tournament against each other in Sharjah, a match in which Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 49 and Yuvraj Singh scored a half-century to set up a comfortable eight-wicket win for Royal Challengers.

Watch out for

Royal Challengers have been inflexible with their team selections, opting for a seamer-centric bowling attack on a Bangalore pitch that has offered something to the spinners. Other teams have played an extra spinner (and won matches), but Royal Challengers have not budged. After the mauling at the hands of Steven Smith and James Faulkner, maybe there is a case for Shadab Jakati over Ashok Dinda.

Daredevils made three changes to their side in their previous match and had Pietersen opening the batting, marking a big change in approach. That didn't translate into Duminy coming up the order though. Duminy arrived at the crease in the 17th over. Daredevils are at that stage where a little bit of experimentation won't hurt, but will they?

Stats and trivia

• JP Duminy is the only Daredevils batsman to feature in the top-10 run-getters this season. None of their bowlers appear in the top ten
• 10.76 - Ashok Dinda's economy when he comes to bowl in the last four overs of an innings. It's the second-worst economy for a bowler (minimum 30 innings) in the last four overs, behind Munaf Patel's 10.97 and marginally better than Ishant Sharma's 10.64. He has also been hit for 30 sixes in these overs, third on the list of bowlers to concede most sixes in this period, behind Vinay Kumar and L Balaji.

Quotes

"If you keep losing, you've got to change a few things here and there."
Daniel Vettori, the Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach

Devashish Fuloria is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Mushtaq Ahmed named Pakistan bowling consultant

	Mushtaq Ahmed is coming off his stint with England © AFP Enlarge
Related Links News : Mushtaq Ahmed loses England role Players/Officials: Mushtaq Ahmed Teams: Pakistan

Mushtaq Ahmed, the former legspinner, has been named Pakistan's bowling consultant. His appointment was made on the recommendation of the PCB's coach selection committee and approved by newly-appointed head coach, Waqar Younis, the Pakistan board said in a release. Mushtaq has been appointed with immediate effect and his contract will extend until May 2016.

Since 2008, Mushtaq had worked as a spin-bowling coach with England and was recently released by the ECB, which is likely to bring in Peter Such as a replacement. This is Mushtaq's second stint with Pakistan - he had earlier served as bowling consultant during home series against England and India between 2005 and 2006.

The PCB said former offspinner Saqlain Mushtaq was also short-listed for the job, but lost out to Mushtaq.

Mushtaq was one of the players implicated in the Justice Qayyum commission report in 2000, after which he was fined Rs. 3 lakh. The commission had recommended that Mushtaq be censured, kept under close watch and not be given any office of responsibility [selection or captaincy] in the team or on the board.

His appointment, despite a six-year association with the ECB, is being seen as controversial due to the report. However, his fairly successful stint with England - in an era when Graeme Swann rose to prominence - has meant that the PCB is willing to take him on despite the criticism.

"There is no concern shown by PCB at all and I am excited to work with my own country," Mushtaq told ESPNcricinfo. "I always wanted to work with Pakistan and if a country like England can support me, then why not my own country. England is a country that is very sensitive [about match-fixing] and they had utilised my services, then how come the critics in Pakistan are raising a finger on me.

"I have a contract according to which I will be working at the NCA, on the development of the upcoming spinners, apart from the national role. Obviously, the present lot [of bowlers] in Pakistan is established but I am aiming to carry on the momentum, which is important in the longer run."

Mushtaq, last played for Pakistan in 2003 but extended his county career and retired from first-class cricket in 2008. In 2003 he became the first bowler in five years to take 100 wickets in the English season. He played 52 Tests and 144 ODIs, taking 185 Test wickets and 161 one-day wickets in 14-year international career.

Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. @kalson

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D/L doesn't work in T20s - Steyn

	Dale Steyn - "The rules regarding rain-affected matches are the subject of ongoing discussion in IPL changing rooms" © BCCI Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Dale Steyn | Praveen Kumar | Daniel Vettori | Kieron Pollard | Allan Donald Series/Tournaments: Indian T20 League Teams: Bangalore T20 | Hyderabad T20 | India | Mumbai T20 | Sunrisers Hyderabad

Steyn speaks out on D/L method

Dale Steyn, the Sunrisers Hyderabad seamer, has become the first major player in the IPL this season to speak up about the much-debated Duckworth-Lewis method, admitting that it was an "ongoing discussion in changing rooms".

Steyn snared two wickets on Saturday to help restrict Delhi Daredevils to 143, and after a couple of rain interruptions, the Sunrisers' task was made even easier as the target was revised to 43 from five overs.

"No doubt the Daredevils would have felt hard done by the last game when the Duckworth-Lewis method gave us a five-over target of less than 50," Steyn wrote in his column for the Times of India . "The rules regarding rain-affected matches are the subject of ongoing discussion in IPL changing rooms.

"Let me skip straight to the conclusion. The way D/L is calculated at the moment, it doesn't work in T20s. But until they, or somebody else, comes up with an improved formula - or even something completely different - we have to stick with it. It's better than tossing a coin or drawing a target out of a hat."

Shastri tips Praveen for England tour

One of the few positives for Mumbai Indians during their defeat to Chennai Super Kings which all but ended their hopes of reaching the playoffs, was a spirited showing from their seamer Praveen Kumar.

Praveen, who went unsold at the IPL auction in February, was roped in by Mumbai as a replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan, and he marked his first appearance for the franchise by picking up the crucial wickets of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum.

Ravi Shastri, writing for Times of India believes that an in-form Praveen warrants selection for the upcoming tour of England, where the bowler's late swing could be a potent weapon.

"This is important for Indian cricket. Praveen is excellent with his control and swing either way; notably late swing. He has the heart of a lion. His Test figures are good," Shastri wrote. "In English conditions, which are expected to be colder this year, he could form a healthy pair with state-mate and protégé, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

"The fact that he is a genuine swing bowler is something that you must take into account as they are a breed who are getting rarer by the day and hence have to be nurtured."

Been a legspinners' tournament - Vettori

While the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Dwayne Smith and David Miller have hogged the limelight this season for their big hitting, Daniel Vettori, the Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach, struck a different note, insisting that this year had been a "legspinners' tournament".

"I think this has been a legspinner's tournament - Pravin Tambe and Rahul Tewatia today for Rajasthan Royals, Amit Mishra and Karn Sharma for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Yuzvendra Chahal for us," Vettori told iplt20.com . "We've seen the rise of the legspinners, which is great because everyone loves watching a leggie in action. It's a really tough art to master, but when you see these guys do so well, it inspires youngsters."

"Arrogant" Pollard got away lightly - Donald

One of the biggest flashpoints of this season's IPL was the ugly altercation between Mitchell Starc and Kieron Pollard, with both players eventually admitting to a level two offence under the IPL's code of conduct.

Pollard lost 75% of his match fee, but Allan Donald, the bowling coach of the Royal Challengers, had strong words for the Mumbai allrounder, branding him "arrogant" and worthy of a bigger punishment.

"I have a fairly strong opinion about what happened the other day at the Wankhede Stadium. It's not something that should be tolerated," Donald told Mid Day . "As far as I am concerned, Pollard pulled out deliberately at the last moment and that's not acceptable. Pollard is a fairly arrogant individual. I can't stand a player who wants to throw his bat at the bowler.

"It's just not on. There's space for a bit of niggling but beyond that, I don't think these things should be allowed to take place on the field. And from the fines that were imposed, I must say that Pollard got away pretty lightly."

RCB quash Gayle injury rumours

The Royal Challengers Bangalore dismissed reports that Chris Gayle had been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL. Gayle, who was dismissed for 19 on Sunday, had missed the Royal Challengers' first few games with a back injury, and speculation was rife that he would miss the franchise's remaining games as well.

"Gayle is not ruled out and no replacement is sought," the Royal Challengers said in a statement.

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Cardiff hosts Ashes opener

	Cardiff's early forays as an international venue have had mixed weather © PA Photos Enlarge
Related Links Grounds: Sophia Gardens

Cardiff will host the opening Investec Ashes Test Match next summer, reviving memories of the ground's inaugural Test in 2009 when England's last pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar clung on for a famous draw on the final day of a nervewracking Ashes encounter.

The chance to launch the series is another fillip for Cardiff, which has had mixed results with weather and attendance levels since financial support from the Welsh Assembly raised its profile as an international venue.

The city is also in contention with London and Singapore as a potential headquarters of the ICC in succession to Dubai.

The commitment to award Cardiff an Ashes was made three years ago, since when the ground's ability to implant itself as a major international venue for cricket has had a mixed reception. The city was also chosen as one of the three venues for last year's Champions Trophy.

Lord's, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and The Kia Oval will also stage Tests as England attempt to recover from their 5-0 mauling in Australia last winter and regain the famous Ashes urn. That would demand that they won a fourth successive home Ashes series following their previous triumphs in 2005, 2009 and 2013.

Confirmation of the schedule is again a sharp reminder of a creeping north-south divide in English cricket. An Ashes Test is the premier attraction in English cricket, but there are no Ashes Tests for Old Trafford, Headingley, or Chester-Le-Street - even though the first two grounds are replete in history and expensively upgraded.

Headingley, which is the only venue where Australia have beaten England in the past two tours, does not appear by mutual consent because Yorkshire, heavily in debt, dare not risk the financial outlay. But Old Trafford will feel in absence heavily. The city is on the up, the ground transformed, but the Australians elsewhere.

After the Ashes, England and Australia will do battle again in a NatWest IT20 in Cardiff before five 50-over matches at the The Ageas Bowl, Lord's, Emirates Old Trafford and Headingley hosting matches in the Royal London One-Day International series.

New Zealand's tour of England will begin in May with tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire before the two countries meet in Tests at Lords and Headingley. ODIs are scheduled for Edgbaston, The Oval, The Ageas Bowl, Trent Bridge and Chester-le-Street. Old Trafford hosts a NatWest IT20.

New Zealand itinerary: May 8-11: Somerset, 4 days, Taunton; May 14-17: Worcestershire, 4 days, New Road; May 21-25: 1st Investec Test, Lord's; May 29-June 2: 2nd Test, Headingley; June 6: Leicestershire, 50 overs, Grace Road; June 9: Royal London ODI (D/N), Edgbaston; June 12: ODI (D/N), Kia Oval; June 14: ODI, Ageas Bowl; June 17: ODI (D/N), Trent Bridge; June 20: ODI, Emirates Durham; June 23: NatWest T20I (F), Emirates Old Trafford.

Australia itinerary: June 25-28, Kent, 4 days, Canterbury; July 1-4, Essex, 4 days, Chelmsford; July 8-12: Investec Test, Swalec Stadium, Cardiff; July 16-20: 2nd Test, Lord's; July 23-25: Derbyshire, 3 days, Derby; July 29-Aug 2, 3rd Test, Edgbaston; Aug 6-10: 4th Test, Trent Bridge; Aug 14-16: Northants, 3 days, Northampton; Aug 20-24, 5th Test, Northants, Northampton; Aug 27: Ireland, ODI, TBC; Aug 31: NatWest T20I, Swalec, Cardiff; Sep 3: Royal London ODI, Ageas Bowl; Sep 5: ODI, Lord's; Sep 8: ODI, Emirates Old Trafford; Sep 11: ODI, Headingley; Sep 13: ODI, Emirates Old Trafford.

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IPL schedule reveals BCCI home truths

	The defending IPL champions will not get to host the IPL final this time © BCCI Enlarge
Related Links News : No IPL matches in Chennai, final moved to Bangalore News : Second phase of IPL in India from May 2 Series/Tournaments: Indian T20 League Teams: India

 The allotment of venues for IPL matches is predominantly a political game between the BCCI and its associations; the recent shuffle of the playoffs' hosts suggests as much

On Sunday night, Kolkata Knight Riders played an 'away' game against Kings XI Punjab in Cuttack. On Wednesday, they will return to the venue for a 'home' game. It's just one of those quirks of scheduling that seem to fit right into the IPL's nomadic format. Elections, court cases, international politics have all affected the allotment of venues in the tournament, which of late has become a tool for political manoeuvring within the BCCI - most evident in the recent changes to the venues of the IPL playoffs, including the final.

The announcement of the original IPL schedule of the India leg hinted that the venues had been finalised keeping an eye on the September election of the BCCI; recent changes, including Saturday's announcement of the shifting of the playoff matches and the final, have only firmed up that belief, with several politically significant state bodies having been showered with multiple IPL games.

For a state body, hosting an IPL match is as financially rewarding as it is prestigious. Each member unit earns approximately Rs 2 crore from the BCCI for staging an IPL game. Add to that the variable sums that are charged for letting out practice facilities to the home teams, and the state bodies' desperation to host IPL matches is understandable.

The original IPL schedule had ensured that two of stood-down BCCI president N Srinivasan's most trusted lieutenants from the east zone - Orissa and Jharkhand bosses Ranjib Biswal and Amitabh Choudhary - had been awarded IPL games, completely out of turn. Ranchi and Chennai are located at two different corners of the country. So are Chandigarh and Cuttack. Still, Ranchi - hometown of Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni - was originally awarded two of Super Kings' home games, and then got two more when the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association conveyed its inability to host any games this season.

Cuttack's Barabati Stadium, meanwhile, was awarded two of Kings XI Punjab's home matches, and got one more when Kolkata Knight Riders' home game on May 14 had to be moved from Eden Gardens - thus making it perhaps the first ground to act as an adopted 'home' of two teams in the same season. Why are Biswal and Choudhary - and their home grounds - significant? Both are supporters from the east zone of the ruling faction led by Srinivasan and hold top positions in the BCCI. While Biswal is the IPL chairman, Choudhary heads the powerful BCCI marketing committee.

The key, though, is that it is the east zone's turn this year to nominate a president for three years from October 2014. The BCCI constitution allows the candidate to be from outside the east zone if he is nominated by an east zone member and seconded by another.

And so matches and venues are used as carrots and sticks. If Cuttack and Ranchi benefited from their proximity to the power centre, venues that came under BCCI officials critical of Srinivasan and his tenure were left out in the cold.

Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha had informed the BCCI that there would be no problem in playing IPL matches at their respective venues anytime after the date of voting. However, the BCCI turned a blind eye on the associations of Ajay Shirke, the Maharashtra Cricket Association president who had resigned as BCCI treasurer protesting against the handling of the IPL corruption scandal; Jyotiraditya Scindia, the MPCA head who was the first to question Srinivasan after the corruption scandal broke last year, and Manohar from Vidarbha, the most vocal detractor of Srinivasan after Modi.

The case of Mumbai, which lost the final to Bangalore, is more complex. In the original schedule, the IPL had followed the set norm of allotting the last two games, including the final, to the home ground of the defending champion. Saturday's announcement of the change offered no explanation for it, and there has been none since - the truth will probably be hard to explain. The main factor has been the prevailing acrimony between the MCA and the BCCI hierarchy.

Sharad Pawar's return as the MCA chief last October has made the ruling regime in the BCCI wary of the MCA. To add to that, ever since Pawar's return, Ravi Savant, the MCA and BCCI vice-president, has time and again questioned the BCCI decisions in the public domain. Pawar's public criticism of the suspension of the Rajasthan Cricket Association on May 6 is being considered the key reason that led to the change of the venue for the final.

Mumbai's loss has been Bangalore's gain. But Bangalore hasn't benefitted only due to its ostensibly luxurious hospitality boxes. Five months ago, the power centres in the Karnataka State Cricket Association experienced a shift from Anil Kumble's group to Brijesh Patel's. Since then, the BCCI top brass has been doling out all sorts of favours to the new KSCA regime. The team managers for India's last two overseas assignments - the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20 - were both KSCA representatives, and the allotment of the final is being seen as yet another step by BCCI top brass led still led by the sidelined N Srinivasan to keep a key south zone member happy.

Similarly, allotting an IPL playoff game each to the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium and Eden Gardens are seen as measures to keep two more voting members on the right side ahead of the BCCI elections in September.

Awarding IPL games to units close to the president isn't new. The DY Patil Sports Stadium, a private stadium in Navi Mumbai, hosted two IPL finals, thanks to its owners' close links with Modi, the then IPL chairman, and Pawar, who was the BCCI president when the IPL was launched. Similarly, when Deccan Chargers had to play their home games away from Hyderabad in 2010, Nagpur - the home city of then BCCI president Shashank Manohar - was one of the three home venues of the franchise.

Similarly, Kochi Tuskers Kerala played two of their home games in Indore, the cricketing base of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, in their only season. Sanjay Jagdale, the most influential personality from MP cricket, was then the BCCI joint-secretary and soon took over as the secretary. Before this season, Dharamsala, the home of BCCI joint-secretary Anurag Thakur, was the favoured adopted home of Kings XI Punjab.

Amol Karhadkar is a correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

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