IPL can happen in Oct-nov if T20 WC is postponed, says BCCI official

NEW DELHI: With the coronavirus outbreak bringing the world to a standstill, sporting events across the world have either been postponed or cancelled and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now looking at the OctoberNovember window to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

But the move can only be possible if the ICC decides to postpone the mens T20 World Cup that is to be held later in the year.

Speaking to IANS, a BCCI official said that while there have been talks with regards to hosting the IPL in the October-november window, it will only be possible if the World T20 to be played in Australia from Oct. 18 to Nov. 15 is postponed.

“At present, there is a lockdown of borders and while Australia has said it is a potential six-month lockdown, things can change with an improvement in the scenario.

“UK could follow the same pattern considering the spread of the pandemic. We are still to understand what the Indian government will decide with regards to closing the international borders. In such a scenario, the only window that looks safe is the October-november one. But again, that collides with the T20 World Cup.

“So, if the ICC does go ahead and decides to postpone the T20 World Cup due to the current scenario, only then we can look at the OctoberNovember window because even if a six-month border closedown is ordered by every country from say now, it ends by the start of October.

“But again, for that, the spread of the coronavirus needs to be stopped and things must come under human control. In short, there will have to be a lot of maths,” the official said.

“Again, it would be the last step for the ICC to push the T20 World Cup from 2020 to 2022 because there is no window in 2021. So, at the moment, it is all a bit too far-fetched to be honest. But yes, the October-november window has been spoken about for the IPL, but a lot of external factors need to fall into place for that to become a reality.”

When contacted, an ICC official made it clear that the T20 World Cup is still on as planned and there have been no talks of a postponement. “There have been no talks of any postponement to the World T20 that is to be held in October and November this year,” the official told IANS.

Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts had earlier said that he was hoping that the T20 World Cup could be played as per schedule in normal circumstances.

Meanwhile, former India skipper MS Dhonis future has been the topic of discussion after the 13th edition of the IPL was suspended.

While some pundits believe it is the end of the road as far as Dhonis India dreams are concerned, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan begs to differ.

“He obviously needs to play. If he does, he should for India. He is the most amazing cricketer we have. He has been fantastic for the country. He has given so much to the world of cricket. But if he is just drafted in, will it be fair for those who have been playing regularly is an important question. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have been playing consistently for a year. So, this question needs to be answered by the board,”?pathan told New Indian Express.