BCCI consider hosting the IPL outside India as a last resort

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are trying their best to schedule the 13th edition of the IPL at some point of time during this year. The emergence of COVID-19 globally saw Cricket matches and tournaments either postponed or cancelled in the month of March, which included the Indian Premier League. The lucrative T20 tournament was scheduled to start on the 29th of March, but was initially postponed until mid April, and then got postponed indefinitely.

Now that there are talks of cricket returning, the BCCI have been discussing possible options to reschedule the IPL. The BCCI have also considered staging the event outside the country, if the situation does not improve in India.

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If that is the case, it would be the third occasion where the IPL takes place outside India. Back in 2009, due to the Lok Sabha Elections, the entirety of the 2nd edition of the tournament was held in South Africa. In 2014, the first few matches of the 7th edition took place in the United Arab Emirates.

A BCCI official, who wished to remain unnamed, spoke to ANI, saying, “The board is looking at all options. If it comes to taking IPL out of India, it may happen but as the last option. If that’s the only option then we will consider it. We have done it in the past also and we can do it again but the first preference will be to host it in India.”

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Thursday, deferred a decision on ‘all agenda items’ until June 10. There were reports that nothing has been finalised as of now and they will wait to get clarity over the T20 World Cup, to be played in Australia from October 18-November 15.