IPL 2020 could solely be held in Mumbai in October should situation improve: BCCI official

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League was scheduled to start on March 29. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cash-rich league was postponed to April 15 by the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI. But with things not improving in time, IPL 2020 was further postponed indefinitely. There is a cloud of uncertainty looming over IPL 2020 but at the same time, there is are a lot of speculations being made about the commencement of the tournament.

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IPL postponed: IPL 2020 could be staged in Mumbai says BCCI official

Now, according to new media reports, the entire season of the IPL 2020 could be held in Mumbai. This comes as a surprise considering the fact that Mumbai is one of the worst-hit cities in India due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. While speaking to PTI, an unnamed BCCI official said that the prospect of staging IPL 2020 solely in Mumbai is at a very preliminary stage.

However, he added that if the IPL 2020 happens in India in October and the situation is under control in Mumbai, the tournament could be staged in the city. The official further said that there are four top-class floodlit grounds available in Mumbai. So, the logistics for BCCI, the official broadcasters (Star Sports), maintaining a bio-bubble, everything could be managed smoothly. If this does become a reality, it is likely to give defending champions Mumbai Indians a huge advantage for playing on their home turf as well as their promotional activities off the field.

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IPL postponed: BCCI CEO hopeful of conducting IPL 2020 after the monsoon

The fate of IPL 2020 largely depends on the T20 World Cup in Australia which is scheduled from October 18 to November 15. Australia might postpone the tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic not subsiding in the country. The CEO of BCCI, Rahul Johri said that plans are on to hold IPL 2020 with Indian and international players after the monsoon. The Sourav Ganguly-led administration recently hinted at the tournament taking place tentatively from September 26-November 8 in cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, should the situation come under control. Sourav Ganguly himself shot off a letter to the state associations, asking them to prepare for the eventuality.

While speaking at the TCM Sports Huddle webinar, Johri said that IPL is one of the greatest engagers in cricket. He added that for sponsors, cricket is a leader and it will lead the way. He also said that the recovery will be sharper than a V-shaped recovery. Johri further said that the flavour of IPL is that the best players in the world come and play and everyone is committed to maintaining that flow. But it will be a step-by-step process. He added that they can’t expect things to get normalised instantly. However, he was clear that players’ decision to participate or not would be respected.

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The BCCI CEO reckoned that they will be guided by the government guidelines and added that the advisory says that the IPL is suspended till further notice. He also revealed that they are engaging with various agencies. After the current phase of lockdown ends, there is the monsoon. Cricketing activities can start only after the monsoon. Johri further was hopeful of the situation improving after the rainy season. Johri accepted that scheduling IPL won’t be easy even in the October-November window. However, he was optimistic and hopeful that the situation will improve after the monsoon.

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