Sri Lanka offers window for IPL

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is “keen” to help the Indian cricket board host the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

This offer has come at the time when former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who is now BCCI president, has said: “We have to speak to other boards and see if a window can be made available before the T20 World Cup”.

“If we fail to complete the IPL, the loss will be close to `12,500 crore ($340 million approximately) going by early estimates.”

“Yes, we can certainly provide a window to host the IPL in the month of September,” Prof. Arjuna de Silva, chief of the managing committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, said.

“We hear the UAE (United Arab Emirates) is one option for BCCI but Sri Lanka cannot be ignored for all reasons,” he said.

“We are planning to host the Lanka Premier League

We hear the UAE is also an option but Sri Lanka cannot be ignored for all reasons. We are planning to host the Lanka Premier League in July-August and the grounds and other infrastructure will be ready for the IPL in September.

— ARJUNA DE SILVA SLC managing committee chief

(LPL) in July-August and the grounds and other infrastructure will be ready for the IPL in September,” de Silva added.

Prof. de Silva’s term is scheduled to be over this month after the SLC elections on May 20, but the offer will stand whoever comes into power.

The IPL teams have already hired the services of Sri Lanka’s legendary cricketers — Kumar Sangakkara, Muthiah Muralitharan and Mahela Jayawardene in coaching roles.