The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently looking for all possible windows to resume the IPL 2021 after it was suspended indefinitely due to the Covid-19 crisis in India.
Manoj Badale is not too confident of the IPL 2021 restarting this year (Courtesy of BCCI)
HIGHLIGHTS
- IPL 2021 was suspended on May 4 after Covid-19 breached the tournament’s bio-bubble
- BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly said there is a slight chance IPL 2021 could be held in September but not in India
- Just 29 out of the 60 matches were played till May 2 before it was stopped by the Indian cricket board
Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale is not too optimistic about the restart of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year due to the packed international cricket calendar. IPL 2021 was suspended indefinitely on May 4 due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in the tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently looking for all possible windows to resume the 60-match tournament which could host just 29 T20s till May 2 before it was halted.
The board president Sourav Ganguly even acknowledged that there might be a window of opportunity to hold the rest of the tournament before the T20 World Cup in September but even that possibility is a long shot.
“We are following the media closely. I think the challenge is just finding a space in the calendar. In my opinion, the players are already playing too much cricket.
“The calendars are incredibly packed. Particularly this year after Covid, boards from around the world are trying to get as many competitions and as many Test matches as possible. I think it’s going to be a real challenge.
“There is a possibility, a small possibility, that in September there might be something in the UK or possibly something in the Middle-East (UAE) either side of the T20 World Cup but it’s going to be a real challenge,” Badale said.
Badale also touched upon the issue of the financial losses that would be incurred by the BCCI, the franchises, sponsors and everybody else involved with the tournament if it doesn’t happen again this year.
He said the burden of the loss would be greater on individuals than the organisations like the Indian cricket board and the franchises.
“There is of course a financial contribution (of IPL) for the game of cricket. A lot of people don’t realise that the IPL is a third of the global cricket economy. It’s just not the players who benefit from it. There is a huge supply chain across India, the hotels, the travel industry, the support staff who rely on those earnings. We have a huge support staff even within a franchise for whom the earnings from the tournament is really important.
“The financial loss on the individuals is far more important than the financial loss of the franchises or for the organisers because those are well funded resilient organisations that can move on,” Badale said.
Click here for IndiaToday.in’s complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
