While announcing the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 schedule on March 7, BCCI had stated that the tournament will be played behind closed doors to begin with and a call on allowing spectators will be taken at a later stage.
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With the Indian board deciding to stage the last three T20Is against England behind closed doors due to rising COVID-19 cases, it is being speculated whether the IPL 14 will still attract crowds in the later stages.
Amidst all the development, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal on Monday (March 15) reiterated that crowds will not attend IPL games but added that the board has still kept the options open of having spectators in the later stages.
"The initial phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was without crowds only, it was already decided," Dhumal told IANS in an exclusive chat.
Asked if there are chances of any crowds in the later stages of the tournament, he said, "It will depend on the situation", and added that the board is yet to take a final call thus keeping the option open.
Six cities - Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Ahmedabad - will host the 60 matches of IPL 2021 with Ahmedabad staging the three play-offs and the final.
The schedule for the marquee tournament, which will begin on April 9 and culminate on May 30, has been outlined in such a way that no team gets to play in its home ground.
The huge crowd in the first two T20Is against England caused a bit of concern in the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases.
"India is due to host the T20 World Cup later this year. There is a lot at stake. Anything untoward now, even if a few cases crop up, it can have an impact on the tournament. It can create some problems," an official in the know of things told IANS.
In a statement, the BCCI had earlier said: "The fixtures of the tournament have been mapped in a way that every team will travel only three times during the league stage, thus reducing commute and minimising risk. The VIVO IPL this year at home will be played behind closed doors to begin with and a call on allowing spectators will be taken at a later stage of the tournament."
(With IANS inputs)
