IPL's late cut

Journalists, who are never in a hurry to reach any venue on time, were in for a surprise when the doors were shut on them on the dot of 9.30 a m at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction organised by the cricket board. Even those latecomers with board-issued identity cards were banned entry. Journalists were not even allowed to use the lift to go up to the high-loft floor where the IPL auction was being held. This came as a cultural shock to most of the mediapeople covering the event but, according to people in the know, it was meant to ensure that coverage of the event was tightly controlled and no "stray" journalist walked in.