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Thackeray Alleges 'Politics of Favouritism' in Venue Selection

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for selecting Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium as the venue for the 2026 T20 World Cup final, alleging "sudden politics of favouritism."

'Why Not Mumbai?': Thackeray Questions ICC

In a post on X on Tuesday, Thackeray questioned the ICC for not choosing Mumbai's iconic Wankhede stadium, despite its historical significance, including the 2011 World Cup Final, in which Team India thrashed Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lift the ODI World Cup after 28 years. "So the T20 World Cup fixture is out. Guess where the Final is scheduled? Ahmedabad. What's this fascination of pulling every single final there? Has this been a traditional cricket venue?" he asked. "Why not Mumbai? Wankhede will be the absolute best venue for a T20 World Cup final. Remember 2011?" Thackeray further raised questions.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA further highlighted that the stadium in Ahmedabad has already hosted a World Cup final in which India lost to Australia in 2023. "Expecting the @ICC not to indulge in politics and favouritism. Likewise, Eden Gardens- Kolkata, MA Chidambaram Stadium- Chennai, IS Bindra- Mohali... all of these are good to host the T20 World Cup Finals...But due to this sudden politics of favouritism, we face injustice," Aaditya Thackeray said.

So the T20 World Cup fixture is out. Guess where the Final is scheduled? Ahmedabad. What's this fascination of pulling every single final there? Has this been a traditional cricket venue? Why not Mumbai? Wankhede will be the absolute best venue for a T20 World Cup final.... twitter/thezl9QIz0 - Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) November 25, 2025

2026 T20 World Cup Details

The world's largest cricket venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, has been earmarked to host the final on March 8, in a tournament that will span eight electrifying venues across India and Sri Lanka. The MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai), Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), Eden Gardens (Kolkata), R Premadasa Stadium (Colombo), Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (Colombo) and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy) round out the full list of host venues.

Schedule Unveiled in Mumbai

The complete schedule was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai. ICC Chairman Jay Shah presided over the event, which showcased the fixtures. Sharing the stage were Rohit Sharma, the ICC Men's T20 World Cup-winning captain and newly appointed ICC Brand Ambassador, India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, and India women's captain and reigning ICC CWC 2025 winner Harmanpreet Kaur. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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