While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now looking at the possibility of hosting the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from September 25 to November 1, CEO Rahul Johri, confirmed that the cash-rich event could be held with Indian and international players after the monsoon.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now looking at the possibility of hosting the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from September 25 to November 1, CEO Rahul Johri, confirmed that the cash-rich event could be held with Indian and international players after the monsoon.
The idea, of course, is largely based on the World T20, which is scheduled from October 18 through November 15, in Australia. It also depends on COVID-19 cases. A decision regarding the World Cup is expected when the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) board meets on May 28.
“IPL is one of the greatest engagers. More people watched the IPL last year than those who voted for general elections. For sponsors, cricket is a leader and it will lead the way. The recovery will be sharper than a V-shaped recovery,” said Johri at the TCM Sports Huddle webinar.
“The flavour of IPL is that the best players in the world come and play, and everyone is committed to maintaining that flow. But it will be a step-by-step process. We can’t expect normalisation tomorrow,” he said.
When asked about the decision by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that has allowed sports complexes and stadiums to reopen, Johri, “We will be guided by the government guidelines. Our advisory says: IPL is suspended till further notice. We are engaging with various agencies. After the current phase of lockdown ends, there is the monsoon. Cricketing activities can start only after the monsoon. By then, hopefully, things will improve."
About rescheduling the tournament, Johri accepted it won’t be easy even in October-November. “When flights resume, everyone has to quarantine themselves before playing. We will have to look at how that will impact the schedules, which as it is are tight. Imagine you have to factor in 14-day quarantine prior to practice also. So, there are a lot of moving parts. But we are still optimistic. Hopefully, the situation will improve after the monsoon, and we will approach it then,” he said.
Asked about holding IPL without spectators, Johri said: “It will not just be in IPL but also international cricket. Although it (gate receipts) gives us a small percentage of our revenue, it is important because the bulk of that goes in the maintenance of stadiums. However, in the short term, before we get back to normal, we can live without (spectators) it.”
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