Mumbai, Nov 26 (UNI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final was allotted to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, alleging “politics and favouritism” in venue selection.
Reacting to the announcement of the tournament fixtures, Thackeray questioned why every major final in recent years was being given to Ahmedabad, saying the trend was unfair to other historic cricket centres across the country.
“Guess where the Final is scheduled? Ahmedabad. What’s this fascination with pulling every single final there? Has this been a traditional cricket venue?” he wrote in a post on X.
Thackeray argues that Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, host of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, would be the “best venue” for a T20 World Cup final.
He also pointed out that Ahmedabad had already hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup final, asserting that cities with cricketing heritage were being overlooked. “Likewise, Eden Gardens-Kolkata, MA Chidambaram Stadium-Chennai, IS Bindra-Mohali… all of these are good to host the T20 World Cup Finals,” he said.
Targeting the ICC, Thackeray added that cricket’s governing body should avoid political influence in its decision-making. “Expecting the @ICC not to indulge in politics and favouritism,” he wrote.
