IPL 2020 likely to be held from Sep 26-Nov 8 after bleak T20 World Cup chances: Report

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) which was supposed to start from March 29 was postponed to April 15 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. However, with the situation not improving, the IPL 2020 was postponed indefinitely. Since then, there has been a lot of speculation about the commencement of IPL 2020.

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IPL 2020 likely to be held between September and November

The IPL is one of the most popular T20 leagues in the world and fans have been eagerly waiting for the BCCI to take a call on the cash-rich league. With major footballing leagues like Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga resuming, fans are stoked by the prospect of IPL 2020 beginning. Recently, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had written to state associations asking them to be prepared for IPL 2020 even if the tournament is to be played behind closed doors.

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Now it has been learnt that the BCCI is planning to conduct the marquee event later this year. According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, the BCCI might stage the IPL 2020 from September 26 to November 8. The dates can be altered depending on ICC's call on the fate of the T20 World Cup, which is expected to be postponed to next year in all likelihood. Recently, Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings claimed that hosting the T20 World Cup with 16 teams this year in Australia would be 'unrealistic', which has almost virtually paved the way for the IPL to take place. 

The report further states that Bengaluru and Chennai are two venues in consideration for staging the tournament where monsoon is not as severe. Mumbai was also one of the venues that were in contention due to the availability of more stadiums and good connectivity to hotels. However, the COVID-19 situation in Mumbai is dire and the number of cases is increasing at a rapid pace which is why it is unlikely that the IPL 2020 will be played there. Reportedly, the BCCI is trying to conduct IPL 2020 in one or two states.

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The BCCI will leave no stone unturned to conduct the tournament safely. The Sourav Ganguly-led board will be issuing strict guidelines to ensure the safety of all players and staff if the tournament goes ahead. Hotels will be booked in advance and charter flights will remain on standby. The matches will be played behind closed doors.

The board has reportedly started informal talks with franchises over the start of the tournament in September and is confident of going ahead with the plan. If the IPL 2020 gets cancelled, the BCCI will suffer enormous losses of around ₹4,000 crore, which will be a massive dent to the board's finances.

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IMAGE COURTESY: INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE INSTAGRAM