BCCI to wait & watch Owners not worried about IPL schedule as Board explores options It could be truncated league, says Ganguly

Mumbai, March 14: A curtailed Indian Premier League was one of the options discussed at Saturday’s meeting between BCCI and the eight IPL franchise owners in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic even as Kings XI Punjab’s Ness Wadia said that he doesn’t know when the T20 event will commence.

The BCCI on Friday suspended the IPL from March 29 to April 15 due to governmentimposed travel restrictions and refusal of three states to host any matches.

“We cannot and no one, you know, is in a position today to say when it’s going to start. We will review the situation after two to three weeks. And hopefully by then the cases will reduce,” Wadia said after IPL owners’ meeting with BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.

A Board source, however, stuck to listing the options that were discussed at the meeting. “There were six to seven options discussed during the meeting between team owners and BCCI including a curtailed IPL,” the source said on conditions of anonymity here.

Wadia made it clear that at this moment, the health safety measures are paramount. In India, there have been two deaths and more than 80 positive COVID-19 cases, resulting in a government directive to shut the fans out of sporting events to avoid large gatherings.

“The second option right now is that teams could be divided into two groups of four and then top four go into the playoffs. The third option is increase of double headers (played on weekdays),” the source informed.

The fourth option is holding all matches in just a couple of centres with restricted movements of players, support staff and TV crew. Another option is to play behind closed doors and have all the 60 games in a shorter time frame which will ensure that the stakeholders do not lose out truckloads of money.

The source also confirmed that shifting the tournament abroad was not discussed at all in the meeting. COVID-19 has resulted in more than 5,000 deaths globally. Wadia said: “BCCI, IPL and (official broadcaster) Star (Sports) are clear that we are not looking at financial loss.”

“At the meeting everyone agreed that human beings come first and finance comes second. We are here to adhere to governments directives. I don’t see anything being decided before the end of the month. We have to wait and watch and hope situation improves,” Wadia further said.

“No decision can be taken

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah arrive for the meeting to discuss IPL’s fate with franchise owners.

until there is clarity. Clarity will only be in two three weeks. As far as your next question is will foreign players come on? I don’t know. There is a ban till the April 15 and then we’ll see. So if IPL happens, great if it doesn’t happen, so be it,” Wadia further added.

Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal tried to downplay the discussion on options and said that there will be another meeting later to discuss other modalities. “As things progress and evolve, BCCI will call for another meeting to discuss all the options. Today’s meeting was to tell us that they are watching the situation, all of us are watching and we will

take a call in due course,” said Jindal.

Asked whether there will be more double-headers the season, Jindal said, “We didn’t discuss anything, we need to assess the situation and the health and safety of public is most important consideration. “Ones the situation comes under control all the options can be discussed.”

Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia doesn’t know when the T20 event will commence, but insists that safety of people comes first.

Mumbai, March 14: Suspended till April 15 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 13th edition of IPL can only be a truncated one provided the situation improves, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said on Saturday.

Asked if the cash-rich event could be a curtailed one, Ganguly said, “It will happen, because if it is April 15, then, in any case 15 days are gone, it has to be truncated. How truncated, how many games, I can’t say at the moment.” Ganguly, a decorated former India captain, was speaking to reporters after the end of the IPL Governing Council meeting here.

The Board’s top boss reiterated that safety is their top priority, a day after the IPL was postponed and the three-match ODI series between India and South Africa called off. “We will monitor further. Safety is most important and with the current situation with what is going around the world and in India, with government directives, we have even postponed the remaining domestic matches.”

The decisions to postpone the cash-rich league and the ODI rubber were taken hours after the Delhi government suspended all sporting activity in the

If it starts on April 15, then, in any case 15 days are gone, and it has to be truncated. How truncated, how many games? I can’t say at the moment. — SOURAV GANGULY, BCCI president

national capital due to the evergrowing health crisis. Delhi is home to the Delhi Capitals IPL franchise.

In the meeting between the franchise owners and the BCCI brass, six to seven options were discussed, including a curtailed IPL. “We met with the owners, to tell them how it can happen and where do we stand at the moment. At the moment, it is just postponed. We will assess the situation,” Ganguly said.

“It will be reassessed every week. I can’t say at the moment (about any deadline). I has to be worked around. As much as we want to host the IPL, we also need to be careful about the security.”