IPL 2020: BCCI mulls introducing mini IPL in September-October next year

The Board of Control for Cricket in India [BCCI] is contemplating over options on how to expand the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to reports, the board is trying to utilise the two-month window in September-October, which was vacated when the Champions League T20 (CLT20) was discontinued. CLT20 was an inter-franchise annual T20 tournament, co-owned by the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa.

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BCCI should look at staging a second IPL: Hemang Amin

The Champions League consisted of top T20 teams from across the world competing against each other. But due to the scarcity of crowds, the tournament was disbanded in 2014. According to minutes of BCCI Annual General Meeting, accessed by a leading media network, the apex cricketing body in India is considering getting back their two-month window and plan a mini-IPL in it. Indian Premier League (IPL) CEO Hemang Amin said that the CLT20 used to be played during the Sep-Oct window for around 15-20 days.

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However, CLT20 was discontinued five years ago in 2014. He added that the Asia Cup, which was hosted every alternate year, was generally played during June. However, after CLT20 was discontinued, the Asia Cup was played during the CLT20 window of Sep/Oct and ICC had also scheduled the T20 World Cup in 2020 (Australia) and 2021 (India) around the same time Amin added that the BCCI should look at utilising this as a second IPL window so the existing teams can have longer participation instead of the two months and this would also entail that BCCI created a new revenue stream which would be beneficial for all the franchises, BCCI and the 'brand' IPL.

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IPL teams could be allowed to play friendlies against each other

The IPL Governing Council also had a lengthy discussion on whether the franchises should be allowed to play friendlies with Associate ICC members in the month of July-August. Amin, however, informed GC that the friendlies can be played among IPL teams instead of playing against ICC associate members. Well, with Sourav Ganguly at the helm of BCCI affairs, any eventuality cannot be ruled out.

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