BCCI might be forced to scrap entire 2020-21 Indian domestic season due to COVID-19?

A truncated Indian domestic cricket season, which was expected to begin later this year, is all set to be delayed even further due to the coronavirus crisis in the country. Instead of the usual October start, the season was expected to launch on November 19 with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. Ratnakar Shetty, former general manager of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), recently interacted with ESPNCricinfo to give his take on the matter.

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India’s 2020-21 Ranji Trophy season likely to be cancelled

Ratnakar Shetty said that the ongoing coronavirus crisis might prompt the BCCI to further delay the launch date of India’s domestic season to either mid-December or by January. He added that the Indian board will “not spare any effort” in their attempts to conduct the season, even though if it means cutting down on some tournaments. Ratnakar Shetty also said that the strength of Indian cricket lies with BCCI’s high-profile annual domestic events like Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as they are crucial in player’s preparation for global events like the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Another BCCI official, while speaking with the same portal, even mulled at the possibility of the entire 2020-21 season getting cancelled altogether. The official said that while BCCI is trying to get some domestic cricket on course, it is likely that there will be no cricket at all due to a continuous rise of coronavirus cases in the country. If the situation improves in the country by the end of the year, a truncated home season might begin in either December or by January 2021.

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BCCI’s take on IPL 2020

The Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments aside, the BCCI is currently focused upon the launch of the much-awaited Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season. The IPL 2020 was earlier scheduled to commence in March this year but a nationwide lockdown enforced a shift in venue and a delay by five-and-a-half-months. The Indian T20 carnival will now be played between September 19 and November 10 across three venues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

IPL 2020 schedule announced by BCCI

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Image source: BCCI Domestic Twitter