Calcutta: The Cricket Association of Bengal’s arrangement with the Kolkata Knight Riders regarding the giant-sized banner covering the façade at the Eden was anyway a compromise. But it appears that even that is not being adhered to. 

After criticisms from many quarters, it was agreed upon that KKR would use the banner, which has covered the pictures of the Indian stalwarts including Sachin Tendulkar, sparingly — that is only during matches. 

It was decided after a meeting that KKR would remove the banner, a piece of branding work, post the April 11 match versus Royal Challengers Bangalore. But four days since that game, the banner is still very much in place.
Surprisingly, the CAB looks almost clueless about the issue. 

Another round of discussion could be held between both parties on Thursday.

“I saw the banner this morning as well. The franchise had told us that it would be removed post the April 11 match. We’ll talk to them on this matter tomorrow and then see what can be done,” CAB treasurer Biswarup Dey said on Wednesday.

But the twist in the tale lies in the fact that Jagmohan Dalmiya, the CAB and BCCI president, and joint secretary Sourav Ganguly are learnt to have been convinced by the franchise in favour of keeping the banner in place as long as the current edition of IPL continues. 

According to a top CAB official: “We were all very much against this because such an attitude from the franchise had hurt our sentiments. But Venky Mysore, the KKR CEO, claimed he had convinced both Sourav and our president so that the banner remains in its place till the end of this IPL. 

“If the president and the joint secretary have no issues, others in the CAB can hardly do anything about it,” the official pointed out.