The franchises wrote to the BCCI as they were not keen to travel to Srinagar for the workshop. Some franchise officials even spoke to key personnel, including chairman Rajeev Shukla and BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur. With IPL franchises not eager, the BCCI were forced to change the venue to Mumbai.

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's ailing health was also one of the reasons for the authorities to change the venue on Wednesday as the CM was eager to the host the event in Srinagar. And now with the unfortunate demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Thursday, their decision to hold the workshop in Mumbai makes more sense.

"We never knew why Srinagar was selected in the first place. Delhi or Mumbai would have been ideal. But we understand the state chief minister wanted to host us all and now that he is not in a position to do that, they may have agreed to shift the venue. Whatever may be the reason, it is a good decision in the end," Pune Mirror quoted a franchise official as saying.

The ninth edition of the IPL is set to start on 9 April, with two new teams -- Pune and Rajkot -- replacing the suspended Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.