Sticks attach to team flags are not permit inside the stadium during the IPL 2022. An aspiring RCB fan shared his experience of being denied the right to carry the flag.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has had a difficult time organizing cricket matches. Particularly the IPL, over the last two years. Due to the situation in India during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league relocated to the UAE. The following year, the IPL relocate to the UAE for the second half. After the competition was forced to be halted in India due to the second COVID wave.
After two years, the BCCI has completed the entire league in India across four venues and two cities. Mumbai and Pune. The year notable because two new teams were introduce to the league in the IPL 2022. Bringing the total number of teams in the league to ten.
To ensure the event runs smoothly. The board and Mumbai Police have collaborated to create a new set of rules and regulations for spectators visiting the stadium during the match. According to a report in The Indian Express, sticks attach to team flags are not permit inside the stadium.
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Sticks attached flags can be a weapon of violence
According to the Indian Express, the BCCI and the Mumbai Police felt that the sticks could be used as weapons. Causing violence and injuring players if thrown at someone on the field. According to the report, fans were not permit to bring their team flags inside and were instead ask to leave them at the entrance gate.
“A team like the Mumbai Indians use to keep their flag on their respective seats before every game.” As this time there is no home game and the BCCI is looking after hosting each game, decided not to allow flags for the general public.” an MCA official said.
Chirag Khilare, a 25-year-old RCB fan, was ask to leave his flag outside the stadium. “I begged during the RCB-RR game at Wankhede Stadium.” I told them that I’m a huge Virat Kohli fan and that this flag means a lot to me, but security wouldn’t let me. “I was only allow to take my flag for this game after requesting it for an hour, but they told me they couldn’t do anything the next time,” Khilare explained.
A similar incident occurred last year when the English cricketers were on tour in India and played five Twenty20 Internationals at the Narendra Modi Stadium (Motera) in Ahmedabad. The fans were not permitted to carry the flags alongside the sticks, and security at the gate removed the sticks from the flags, allowing fans to carry only the flag.
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