BCCI CEO Rahul Johri optimistic about IPL 2020: Details here
BCCI Chief Executive Officer Rahul Johri claimed cricketing activities can start only after the monsoon but is optimistic about the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 happening this year. The IPL was supposed to take place between March 29 to May 24. However, the cash-rich tournament got suspended indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here's more on the same.
Johri said cricket can start only after the monsoon period and the BCCI will follow the guidelines meted out by the government of India. "We are going to be guided by the government of India in its entirety, whatever are the government guidelines is what we'll follow... cricketing activity in earnest can start practically only after the monsoon season," he said in a webinar.
India's monsoon season lasts from June to September. There is speculation that IPL 13 might be conducted in October-November if the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia gets postponed. "Hopefully, things will improve and give us more variables which we can control and accordingly take the decision," said Johri. Johri said one cannot expect normalization and it will be a step-by-step process.
With a 14-day quarantine being talked about as one of the compulsory safety measures regarding players and scheduling, Johri said the BCCI is optimistic regarding the IPL post the monsoon season. "So there are a lot of moving parts. Having said that we stay optimistic. Hopefully the situation post the monsoon will improve and we approach it that point of time," Johri said.
"The flavour of the IPL is that the best players around the world come and play, and everyone is committed to maintaining that flavour. Of course, it is going to be a step-by-step process, so you cannot expect normalisation tomorrow," he said.
On Wednesday, BCCI Apex Council member Anshuman Gaekwad said the ICC T20 World Cup which is supposed to be held this year, seems unlikely to go ahead. The cancelation of the World T20 could then make space for the currently suspended IPL on the calendar. He also said it all depends on the conditions in India.
"I have my doubts that T20 WC will be held this year. About IPL, we cannot think of just now. It will depend on Indian conditions and the window is only during this T20 WC which is October-November," Gaekwad told PTI Bhasha.
