On Friday the Indian cricket will have its Apex Council meeting via video conference. Among other agenda, the future of the IPL 2020 will be given priority in the same.
Future of IPL 2020
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Apex Council meeting will be taken place on Friday via video conferencing. An 11-point agenda has been set for the meeting where from India’s cricket situation amid pandemic and Indian Premier League will be discussed. Although the ICC has not yet postponed the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in Australia at the later part of the year, the BCCI is planning to host the IPL in that window. Earlier Sourav Ganguly also shared his thoughts on the same and told that the board is keen to host IPL in India.
Speaking on the possibility of taking the league outside India, an official told PTI, “Obviously, all options need to be explored. First option is India but you don’t how the situation will be. Obviously, there is UAE and Sri Lanka but taking out the IPL will increase the overheads. I think the president also recently said that.” He further added, “I don’t think we are still in a position to fix venues in a situation which is so fluid. But the plans and the tentative window needs to be ready so that once ICC makes a formal announcement of the T20 World Cup (scheduled for October-November) cancellation next week, we can proceed.”
Other agenda
Due to pandemic, like other countries, India have gone to lockdown since March. Cricket in India has not make come back yet although international cricket returned last week. Reportedly the board has been busy in planning a training camp to be held in Dubai with the contracted players. In case, the COVID-19 situation does not let the BCCI host the league in India, the UAE will be given top priority as venue for the same. The Indian team management also asked the board to allow a 6-week training period before engaging in any professional cricket.
Apart from the league and camp, the BCCI will be discussing the fate of domestic cricket in the country as well. England’s upcoming tour of India for the bilateral series in mid-September is a vital matter too amid such situation.
