The league's 13th edition currently remains indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
While the cash-rich tournament will be truncated or full-scale, at home or abroad, there is no clarity yet. And the IPL franchises are desperate for a decisive statement from the Indian board on the fate of the T20 league as they believe it will get unprecedented TV viewership this time around.
“Considering the current situation, there are too many complications in hosting the T20 World Cup with 16 teams. Organising the IPL won’t be easy too. It has to be at a place which has adequate infrastructure, both on and off the field,” Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia told PTI.
Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore, during a media event last week, opposed the idea of “tinkering’ with the format of the league but not all IPL stakeholders agree.
The BCCI, on its part, has only hinted at conducting the event so far but specifics are still not known.
“I am sure BCCI is putting all its efforts towards a full IPL but we have no issues even with a curtailed one. We have to be aware of the situation we are in and optimise ourselves,” Wadia said.
“IPL has also been a very forward looking and flexible tournament and that has to be maintained during the COVID situation. Going back to 2009, within one month we switched from India to South Africa,” he added.
Chances of organising the IPL overseas can’t be ruled out provided the rising COVID-19 cases in India. Emirates Cricket Board in UAE and Sri Lanka Cricket have already expressed interest in hosting the event.
New Zealand, among the least affected countries from Coronavirus, is also an option though the huge time difference goes against it.
Wadia said all stakeholders can mutually decide the location and duration of the tournament.
“We would need adequate number of hotels in that place, so that we are able to quarantine players if needed. Whether in India or abroad, there has to be enough infrastructure,” he explained.
Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a top official of another leading IPL team said he would not like to see a shortened tournament and wants the BCCI to unveil the dates at the earliest.
“I don’t understand what the BCCI is waiting for. They should have announced the dates by now. Whether August-September or September-October (if the World Cup doesn’t happen).
“Talk to the UAE board and go ahead. They can even consider Bahrain and Muscat and expand the league’s presence further.
“ICC delaying the decision has left it in a dilemma and also the BCCI,” the official said.
One thing is certain that the tournament, if it happens, will be played in empty stadiums. Hence, there are qualms if teams can continue to attract sponsors like they have been able to over the past decade.
Wadia believes there will be an increase in viewership and that’s why attracting sponsors would not be an issue.
“If it is a shorter tournament then automatically it would depend on the number of games. If there are the usual 14 league games, you are getting an X value from a sponsor, it will change if there are lesser number of games,” he explained.
“Having said that, a lot of sponsors might be happy to see the IPL happening even if it is shorter. It gives them a lot of publicity.
“In my humble opinion, the IPL might happen with a larger audience base purely based on the assessment that world has been through so much and the world needs that outlet,” he added.
Wadia doesn’t see sponsors shying away from the curtailed IPL.
“…I don’t see any difficulty in attracting sponsors. Today there are too many variables but tomorrow if the IPL dates are announced, I don’t see why sponsors won’t come forward, given the viewership might increase,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)