BCCI informs franchises about deferring IPL indefinitely after lockdown extension: Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly informed all franchises of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that the tournament stands "postponed indefinitely" after the India lockdown was extended to May 3 on Tuesday. The IPL 2020 cannot be conducted during its designated time as normal life has come to a standstill all around the world. The IPL 2020 was supposed to be played between March 29 and May 24.

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IPL 2020 postponed indefinitely after lockdown extended due to coronavirus

The decision to postpone IPL 2020 was discussed over a conference call on Tuesday evening by the BCCI's top officials including Sourav Ganguly (President), Jay Shah (Secretary), Brijesh Patel (IPL chairman), Arun Dhumal (BCCI Treasurer) and Hemang Amin (IPL COO).

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There has not been a formal announcement made as yet but according to ESPN, the BCCI has reached out to all the stakeholders, including the eight franchises and the broadcasters, to convey that the event stands "postponed and not cancelled". This is the second time that the IPL 2020 has been postponed. Last month, India was put under a three-week lockdown due to which the tournament was pushed forward to April 15.

The BCCI had several plans in mind to conduct IPL 2020. They first conceived the idea conducting a month-long IPL with the final scheduled in the first week of June. Then they also were planning to play the games behind closed doors but a rapid rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country saw all the plans pushed to the backburner.

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The only available window for an IPL in the current year would be between September and November, provided Cricket Australia and the ICC agree to reschedule the T20 World Cup. The six-month travel restrictions in Australia end on September 30 if the situation becomes normal and the T20 World Cup is scheduled in October-November.

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