The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020’s fate is still up in doldrums given that the BCCI has adopted a wait and watch strategy with ICC deferring their decision on T20 World Cup to be held in Australia by a month.

However, speculations are rife that this year’s IPL, which has been postponed indefinitely, may be held behind closed doors, without the crowd supporting their favorite franchises.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) stands to lose $525 million in revenue if it cannot stage the 2020 edition of the franchise-based league and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly assured members this week that they were exploring "all possible options".

"If it can be with spectators, we'd ideally want that," BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told Reuters by telephone.

IPL 2020: “Ready to go ahead with IPL in September-October,” says Brijesh Patel, Chairman of IPL GC

However, The Indian Premier League (IPL) could be played behind closed doors as last resort, if that is the only way to save this year's Twenty20 tournament from falling victim to the coronavirus epidemic.

"But if we have to stage it in empty stadiums and there's no other choice, we might go for that. We'll try and work out depending on the situation at that point in time. But before anything else, we have to have a window available and a clear-cut directive from the government (to go ahead),” Dhumal said.

The BCCI has said that they would hold the IPL in the Oct-Nov window if the T20 World Cup is postponed.

"Whatever decision has to happen should happen well in time. If that tournament is not happening, other boards can decide whether they want to have some bilateral tournament or something else to make up for the loss they have incurred because of the pandemic,” Dhumal added.

(Reuters inputs)