BCCI working on all options to stage IPL 2020: Ganguly
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is hoping to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) behind closed doors this year. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said in his letter to all affiliated members of the body, that the board is working on all possible options to stage the tournament this year. Here's more on the same.
"The BCCI is working on all possible options to ensure that we are able to stage the IPL this year, even if it means playing the tournament in empty stadiums. The fans, teams, players, broadcasters, sponsors and all other stakeholders are keenly looking forward to the possibility of IPL being hosted this year," Ganguly's letter read.
The letter also stated that the BCCI will decide on the future course of action regarding IPL. "Recently a lot of players, both from India and other countries, participating in IPL have also shown their keenness on being a part of this year's IPL. We are optimistic and the BCCI will shortly decide on the future course of action on this," the letter added.
The possible window for the BCCI to host the 13th edition of the tournament is during October-November. However, the T20 World Cup is scheduled during that time. It has been speculated that the IPL might happen if the ICC decides to postpone the T20 World Cup. The board was waiting for ICC's meeting on Wednesday to find out if they got a clear window.
The ICC will continue to explore a number of contingency plans regarding the future of Men's T20 World Cup 2020 and ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2021, until next month. Reportedly, the board members unanimously agreed to assess and evaluate the scenario in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. Several factors will be evaluated under the planning process.
The IPL 2020 was indefinitely postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic. With the World T20 likely to be postponed, a window will open up. Last month, BCCI Chief Executive Officer Rahul Johri claimed cricketing activities can start only after the monsoon but is optimistic about the IPL 2020 happening this year. However, the BCCI will follow the guidelines meted out by the government of India.
