Six cities have been shorted by the Indian cricket board to host the IPL 14, reportedly. The BCCI is optimistic about bringing back the league after organizing the 13th version in the UAE.
Six venues for IPL 2021
Initially, as per the reports the board had zeroed in on Mumbai and Pune for league games while Ahmedabad was selected as the venue for the playoffs. But now, a report in the Times of India suggests that Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Bengaluru will be hosting the IPL. Mumbai will not have any spectators while other cities might have 50% crowd at the venue. The recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is the reason behind the same.
According to the Times of India, Delhi was included in the list of venues recently due to the ongoing issues in the Hyderabad Cricket Association. However, the eight IPL franchises are yet to be informed about the shortlisted venues. The BCCI has to arrange bio-bubble across six cities because of the pandemic.
Franchises yet to be informed
The last edition of the Indian Premier League was organized entirely in the UAE. It was played across just three venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai. The tournament was conducted smoothly and was a huge success. This is why, when the pandemic still exists in India, the franchises are unsure about hosting it in the country across six cities. “Obviously, it’s scary. The earlier idea of hosting it in one or two cities sounded far better. After all, the 2020 edition was conducted between three venues and it went well,” a franchise representative was quoted as saying by Times of India.
An official statement is yet to be released from the Indian cricket board. The franchises are yet to be confirmed about the details. However, the successful organization of two domestic tournaments – Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s and the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy are signs of positivity.
