IPL 2022 likely to be held in Mumbai, Pune
The 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season will be held in Mumbai, top BCCI sources told ANI on Saturday. Notably, all matches will take place behind closed doors. Wankhede, Cricket Club of India (CCI), and DY Patil Stadium are the likely venues for the tournament. As per Cricbuzz, the IPL 2022 could kick off on March 27, a week ahead of the planned start.
#IPL2022 will be held in India without a crowd. Likely venues are Wankhede Stadium, Cricket Club of India (CCI), DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai Pune if needed: Top sources in BCCI to ANI
— ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2022
As per reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants to conduct the IPL in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the tournament opener is likely to be held in Mumbai. All this was discussed during the meeting comprising officials and IPL team owners, including the Ambanis, N Srinivasan, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Parth Jindal among others.
It has been learned that the UAE and South Africa were also considered as potential venues for the IPL 2022. However, the UAE was rejected as the grounds there will have dew in April and May. Although some BCCI members were keen on shifting the tournament to South Africa, the officials zeroed in Maharashtra. The final decision will be out on February 20.
The option of conducting the IPL in Mumbai and Pune gained more votes as it negates air travel. Moreover, there are enough hotels to accommodate the contingents. However, the COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra will be monitored before going ahead with these plans.
The 2021 edition of IPL was split across two phases, the first of which was held in India. The second wave of COVID-19 led to its postponement midway through the tournament. Meanwhile, the UAE hosted the remainder of the league in September-October. Chennai Super Kings were crowned champions after they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-octane final.
The IPL 2022 mega auction is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. There is no plan to postpone the same. A total of 1,214 cricketers (896 Indian and 318 overseas players) have registered for the auction. The list includes 270 capped, 312 uncapped, and 41 players from Associate teams. Reportedly, all 10 franchises received the initial list on Friday.
