The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was postponed after 29 matches due to the rise in coronavirus infection in India. A total of 31 matches including playoffs and the final are left. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will lose about Rs 2,500 crore if it fails to host the remaining matches of the tournament. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said he was looking for a window to host the rest of the IPL to avoid that financial loss. They are also looking into the possibility of hosting these matches elsewhere outside India.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has started looking for alternative venues. The media reports that several county teams in England, including the MCC and Lancashire, want to host the IPL. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has also expressed interest in organizing the rest of the IPL after hearing of the desire of the county teams. The BCCI is also keeping the UAE in mind as the UAE successfully hosted IPL 2020.
The Indian cricket team is going to England next month. There they will play the final of the ICC Test Championship against New Zealand. After that, Virat Kohli and Co. will play a series of five Tests against England. All will be part of the tour, which will be about four months. Considering this, many think that the rest of the IPL could be in England at the end of the year. Apart from that, the biological protection of England has already received much praise in the cricket world.
But after hearing about the rest of the IPL in England, the Hampshire county chief said it is not possible. He said that it would be unethical to host the IPL in England under the current circumstances. However, Kevin Pietersen is in favor of hosting the IPL in England. There is free time in September after the 5-match Test series against India. And the former England captain thinks that England can host the IPL at that time.
On the other hand, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) is interested in organizing the IPL. Arjuna de Silva, head of the managing committee of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, said, “We have heard that the BCCI is considering the UAE in hosting the IPL. If they want, they can organize IPL in our country. Because we have plans to host the Lankan Premier League in July-August. If India wants, IPL can be host here in September. Our fields and stadiums will be ready by that time.”
The country has four stadiums with floodlight facilities which is also a huge facility for the IPL. The four venues are Khetturama, Pallekele, Suriyauia, and Dambulla in Colombo. The first three are experienced in hosting matches in major ICC tournaments.
IPL will be glamorous whether it’s in India or outside India and we’ve got the proof for this before as well. For sure, it will be well for the BCCI it they can organize it outside of India, they will be able to overcome the loss and the fans will again get opportunities to witness some exciting cricket actions.
IPL 2021 has been postponed indefinitely but the recent updates regarding it are always on Baji. Keep an eye on Baji and know the recent tidings of IPL!
