David Warner says Australian players will participate in IPL should T20 WC be postponed

David Warner has said that the Australian players are keen to play IPL 2020 if this year's ICC T20 World Cup gets postponed. The IPL 2020 that was originally scheduled to get underway on March 2020 has been suspended indefinitely as of now due to the global pandemic. Meanwhile, it has been reported that the T20 World Cup that is scheduled to be played in Australia in October-November might be called off due to coronavirus fear. An official decision regarding the same will be taken by the governing body of world cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) during their next meeting in July.

'We will be able to come and play in the IPL': David Warner

While on an episode of India Today’s Inspiration, Warner went on to say if it is unlikely that the World Cup cannot go ahead, then he is very sure and positive that they (Australian players)will be able to come and play in the IPL if that replaces the World Cup schedule and should they get permission from Cricket Australia to go to India, then the southpaw is sure that the Aussie players will put their hands up and come and play cricket which at the end of the day is what they love.

IPL 2020 likely to be held between September and November

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.

Now it has been learned 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.

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 franchisees over the start of the tournament in September and is confident of going ahead with the plan. If the IPL 2020 gets canceled, the BCCI will suffer enormous losses of around ₹4,000 crores, which will be a massive dent to the board's finances.

READ: Aussie Pacer Pat Cummins Says He Is Happy To Know IPL 2020 Might Take Place

(Image Courtesy: AP)