DT Next

Race between UAE and SL to host IPL, says BCCI official

-

NEW DELHI: The 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is in all probabilit­y heading to foreign shores, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sri Lanka in the race to host the 2020 edition of the competitio­n.

The final announceme­nt is expected soon as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still awaiting an official decision on the fate of the T20 World Cup, which is slated to be held in Australia in October and November.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official said that while the idea was to play the league in the country, the situation with regards to the coronaviru­s pandemic might force the board to ultimately take the tournament to either UAE or Sri Lanka.

“We are yet to decide on the venue, but in all probabilit­y it is going to be outside (India) this year. The condition in India doesn’t look suited to have so many teams come in at one or two venues and then create an atmosphere, which will be safe for the players as well as the general public even though the games may be played behind closed doors,” said the BCCI official.

“The race is between UAE and Sri Lanka and we will need to decide on where we host the league depending on the situation there with regards to the coronaviru­s pandemic. Logistics also need to be looked into, so we will decide soon,” he added.

While the mood was initially in favour of hosting the league in the country, the current situation has almost made it certain that the tournament will have to be taken outside India. It was earlier reported that the decision makers in BCCI were divided in 3:2 ratio with regards to deciding on the venue of the league.

It is to be noted that IPL chairman Brijesh Patel has also been vocal that the location shouldn’t be a concern if the league is played behind closed doors.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India