BCCI might conduct a Mumbai-only IPL: Reports

Even as the entire country, including the major stakeholders in the Indian Premier League, wait with bated breath to know the faith of the tournament, news agency PTI has reported that the BCCI may conduct the entire IPL in just one city – Mumbai. 

The BCCI was planning to conduct the tournament during the September-October window but with the International Cricket Council delaying the announcement related to T20 World Cup – scheduled for later this year in Australia - the fate of the tournament seems to be stuck in limbo.

“It’s at a very preliminary stage but if IPL happens in India and by October, situation is under control in Mumbai, there are four top-class floodlit grounds available in Mumbai. The logistics for BCCI, broadcasters (Star Sports), maintaining a bio-bubble, everything could be managed smoothly,” a BCCI official told PTI.

Mumbai is one of the worst affected cities in India and for the BCCI’s plans to come to fruition the situation in the city needs to get better. The BCCI stands to lose Rs 4000 crore if the tournament does not happen and the board has time and again made its intention clear about conducting the tournament.

A few weeks back the president of the BCCI, Sourav Ganguly, had said that the board will do all within its capacity to ensure that the year does not end without the IPL.

Given the fact that cricket is returning with England kickstarting their season against West Indies from 8 July, the BCCI can realistically hope to pull off the league if the bio-secure environment created by the ECB works well under the current scenario. The series in many ways will give the BCCI an idea about how to go about things. However, the magnitude and the scale of the IPL is much larger than a bilateral Test series.

“Obviously, everything depends on the Covid-19 situation in Mumbai. But if there are no spectators allowed and a bio-bubble is created, then Mumbai won’t be a bad option,” the official said.