The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling new venues to hold the remainder of the IPL 2021 matches, which had to be postponed indefinitely after 29 matches were played of the tournament.
This happened due to multiple cases of COVID-19 in the bio-bubble including four players, two coaches, and several other support staff.
Now is has been reported by the Times of India, the board, the league’s governing council (GC), franchises, broadcaster, and other stakeholders are unanimous in agreement to hold the remainder of the IPL 2021 matches, but one thing is clear, that remaining half of the IPL – ‘Phase-2’ as some are calling it already – will certainly not be held in India, regardless of an available window, enhanced bio-secure bubbles or potential improvement in the Covid-19 situation.
India has been ruled out as an option because the overseas players who rushed back home, might not want to come back to the country back in a hurry. And without the overseas cricketers, the IPL is then a slightly fancier ‘Mushtaq Ali’, the domestic T20 tournament.
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“It has to be played overseas. Certain suggestions have already been heard. The BCCI just has to make up its mind,” top sources in the board said.
There are a couple of suggestions floating around for the second half of the IPL 2021 tournament.
The first is to move the IPL to UAE, a tried and tested venue that worked successfully in 2020, where the T20 World Cup can also be hosted post Phase-2.
It is mulled that the players participating in the IPL can reach UAE after the Indian team’s tour of England ends on September 14, undergo a week’s quarantine, and complete the remaining 31 matches before the T20 World Cup begins on October 22.
“If the World Cup is shifted, the whole scheduling will get re-worked anyway. Weather will be a problem because September remains a very hot month and UAE only begins to cool down October onwards,” said those in the know.
The second option is to move the IPL to the UK and BCCI can take the advantage of the end of the English summer – end of September and early October – to conclude the league. The Indian team will travel to England next month for the World Test Championship and remain based out of there until the completion of India’s five-Test series.
“The weather will be good for cricket. It will suit the broadcaster too because time zones can be adjusted and overseas players from outside of India and England will be willing to travel,” they add.
The third option in the works is that India barters the T20 World Cup scheduled in India this October-November to Australia. If the government of Australia revises its policies four months from now, India can offer to host the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup, which is to be hosted by Australia.
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“Cricket Australia certainly won’t mind this exchange if their government allows. And since international players will anyway arrive there for the World Cup, Perth – which is three-and-half-hours ahead of Indian Standard Time – can host Phase-2 to cater to Indian prime-time,” sources said.
“This can happen only if the Australian government changes its mind and if broadcasters are willing to agree. A new destination will infuse freshness into the league and that itself will attract viewership. England and Australia are good options,” industry sources said.
(Times Of India Inputs)
