The BCCI is thinking about keeping UAEas a back up option to host the T20 World Cup later this year. The mega event is originally scheduled to be hosted in India between October-November later this year. However, the rapid rise in the number of COVID cases might become a hindrance in the smooth conduct of the tournament in India. The country reported 379,257 new cases and 3,645 fatalities on Thursday, the highest number of deaths in a single day in India since the start of the pandemic.

Seeing the rise in COVID cases, many overseas players have opted out of the season midway. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also opted out of the season to stay with his family at this time of crisis. The UK and Australia are among numerous countries to effectively ban travel from India, and there are growing concerns over the feasibility of staging the T20 World Cup later in the year.

Dhiraj Malhotra, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) general manager for game development, hopes the tournament remains in India.

Also Read: Here Is How BCCI Strengthened The Bio-Bubble Protocols Amidst The COVID Wave

“I’ve just been named one of the tournament directors, so I’m doing everything we can to make sure it happens. “We will be doing normal scenario, and worst case scenario, so with all that we’re talking to the ICC at the moment” Malhotra told BBC’s Stumped podcast.

Malhotra further said that the BCCI is looking for UAE as a backup option for the T20 World Cup after it successfully hosted the IPL 2020 with all safety protocols in place. 

BCCI Looking For UAE As Back Up Option For T20 World Cup

“It would be the UAE. We’re hoping again that it would be done by the BCCI. So, we’ll take the tournament there, but it’ll still be done by the BCCI,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BCCI in a statement has said that it will organise chartered flights for the return of the overseas players after the IPL and they will be taken care of maintaining all the disciplines during the remaining IPL. 

An email from Hemang Amin, interim chief operating officer at the BCCI, has been issued to squad members of the eight franchises in a bid to instill confidence in the tournament following several high-profile departures.

Also Read: IPL 2021: BCCI To Ensure Safety Of Players Until They Reach Home