BCCI PLANS MINI IPL ABROAD

Dharamsala, June 24: The BCCI is set to introduce a new Twenty20 event, to be branded as mini IPL, outside India in September.

“In the month of September, the BCCI is willing to host a mini IPL or IPL overseas with all the eight teams participating,” BCCI president Anurag Thakur said at the conclusion of the Board’s Working Committee meeting here.

“It will be a shorter format, not home and away matches but a lesser number of matches. In a twoweek window we should be able to complete it,” he said.

The BCCI move was on the cards with the scrapping of the Champions League T20 last year.

The details of the shortened version of IPL are yet to be chalked out and possible venues are US and UAE, which has already hosted part of the IPL in 2014.

The full-fledged IPL lasts about almost two months. The ninth edition of the tournament was held in India from April 9 to May 29. “BCCI will explore the option of hosting Mini IPL overseas in September,” a Board statement said.

Going overseas is not new to IPL as the entire 2009 edition was held in South Africa due to the general election in India.

Thakur said that with the Duleep Trophy — India’s first-class zonal competition — scheduled for the end of September, the BCCI only had a restricted window available for the mini IPL. — Agencies