The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keenly looking at the Future Tour Program post the coronavirus pandemic as they are keen to host the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. However, recent reports suggest that the Indian Government will take the final call on the future of IPL 2020.
Meanwhile, the 13th season of the T20 blitz was scheduled to commence from March 29. However, BCCI had to postpone it to April 14 after the first lockdown. And with no signs of improvement and the lockdown extended, the Sourav Ganguly-led panel had to defer the tournament for an indefinite period.
Indian Government will decide on IPL 2020s future
There are recent speculations going around that BCCI is keen to host IPL during the October-November window, originally slated for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020. But India’s sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said any decision to allow the IPL to go ahead this year would be taken by the Indian government and not BCCI.
“In India, the government has to take a call and it will be depending on the situation of the pandemic, how we progress as a nation,” Rijiju told the India Today television channel.
“We can’t put health of the nation at risk just because we want sporting events to be held. Our focus is fighting COVID-19,” he added.
Meanwhile, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has already admitted that they would incur a loss of Rs 4000 crores if IPL 2020 doesn’t take place. The cricketers are also looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the greatest in the game in the biggest franchise-based league in the world. Many have also opined that they would like to start with IPL when cricket resumes after the COVID-19 lockdown.
