BCCI eyeing September-October window for rescheduled IPL

Indian Premier League organisers are waiting to hear if the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup go ahead as they plan for a rescheduled tournament.

 
 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at the September and October window for staging a rescheduled Indian Premier League (IPL).

Over two months after the IPL was due to get under way, there remains uncertainty over the event taking place this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There are also doubts about whether the T20 World Cup will start in October as scheduled, while the Asia Cup in September remains under threat as well.

Brijesh Patel, chairman of the IPL's governing council, says a September start is a possibility if the T20 World Cup in Australia and the Asia Cup do not go ahead, and the event could be played behind closed doors.

"Yes, we are looking at those dates, but it all depends on the future of the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup. Subject to that, we are planning [for games in September and October]," Patel told the Indian Express.

"Again, it depends on how the situation is in September-October. We have to go by the government directive. First we need the go-ahead from the government."

Patel added that playing matches without a crowd would not be an issue.

He said: "You can't play a World Cup in empty stadiums. But the IPL being a league, it can be staged behind closed doors. The official broadcaster is okay with that and so are the players because they want to play."

Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive Venky Mysore on Friday stated that it is vital the best players from overseas can feature in the IPL.

"The quality of the product is what has made it really, really special," he said. "I think it is safe to say that the collective view is that we have to have the tournament in its full format; the same number of games, with all the players part of it."