Rajasthan Royals co-owner Manoj Badale believes a truncated IPL is still a possibility

Rajasthan Royals co-owner Manoj Badale feels that there will be some form of IPL this year. The IPL 2020 that was originally supposed to kick off on March 29 with the tournament opener between last year's finalists Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings has been postponed to April 15 due to the deadly COVID-19. 

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'IPL is hugely important': Manoj Badale

During an interview, Manoj Badale said that they have a number of calls as owners, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to talk about what those plans might be, but IPL is clearly going to be postponed and it is unclear at this stage whether or not it takes place later this year. Badale also mentioned that the cricket calendar is so packed that there are very few gaps, especially for a seven-week tournament due to which he feels that even if a gap can be found, it would have to be a shorter tournament.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals owner also went on to say that uniqueness of the IPL is it gets the very, very best around the world so it is not just a collaboration between the BCCI, the owners and the Indian government as there needs to be a collaboration of the other cricket boards as well. The RR owner further added that what makes the IPL stand out is the presence of not just the Kohlis and the Dhonis, but also the Stokes, the Warners and the Butlers. 

Badale further added he reckons that there will be some form of the tournament this year and that will probably be a shortened tournament because long as people are prepared to be creative and as long as boards are prepared to work together collaboratively, the IPL is hugely important to the game of cricket. It is not just of importance to the Indians that the IPL takes place.

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Stakeholders looking at the September-November window for IPL 2020

As per reports, the stakeholders are looking at the September-November window later this year to make the IPL 2020 season happen. The organisers are keen on having a go at this plan even if it’s a short season without foreign players.

According to a leading media network, the source said that either way, one thing remains clear. The source added that the IPL 2020 takes precedence whenever the markets open. That’s because the IPL 2020 remains the elephant in the room rather than the BCCI forcing it.

If IPL 2020 indeed takes place without overseas players, there are fears that the tournament may lose its charm. According to a BCCI official, it would be exactly like another Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy if the foreign cricketers don’t play their trade in IPL 2020. However, IPL officials are still optimistic and are hopeful that the presence of top India stars at the IPL 2020 will be enough to attract fans to the stadiums. 

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