'IPL world's best tournament', says BCCI president Sourav Ganguly
What's the story
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is delighted with surge in viewership and ratings of the ongoing edition Indian Premier League season. Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live show, Ganguly said he he is "not surprised" with the response and termed IPL the "best tournament in the world". Notably, the IPL was originally scheduled to be played in March, however, the COVID-19 pandemic postponed it indefinitely.
Statement
Here is what Ganguly said
Ganguly spoke on the discussions regarding the fate of the tournament. "I am not surprised at all. When we were discussing Star, if we have to do it this year and one month prior to the tournament, we were contemplating, whether this can happen or not, what will be the ultimate result of the bio-bubble and will it be successful," he said.
Quote
'We wanted to bring back normalcy through cricket'
"We decided to move ahead with our plan, because we wanted to bring normalcy in everyone's lives and wanted to bring the game back. I am not surprised with the feedback. This is the best tournament in the world," he added.
Viewership
15 per cent growth in viewing minutes
As per reports, the opening week of the tournament was watched by 269 million viewers, (11 million more per match as compared to the 2019 edition). According to a BARC-Nielsen report titled 'Television Viewership and Advertising Consumption of IPL-13 2020', the first week of IPL 2020 saw a 15 per cent growth in viewing minutes, as compared to last season.
IPL 2020
A season of several highs and lows
The thirteenth IPL edition has seen several highs and lows as of now. Interestingly, the second game this season (DC vs KXIP) went into the Super Over. Ever since, as many as four more of them have been played out. So far, not even a single qualifier has been decided after 47 league games. Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings have already been eliminated.
Playoffs
Dubai to host the IPL final on November 10
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Sunday, announced the schedule for IPL 2020 playoffs. Dubai is set to host the grand finale on November 10. Notably, the Qualifier 1 will also be played at the venue on November 5. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi will play host to the Eliminator and Qualifier 2. All the games will start at 7:30 PM IST.