The surge in Covid cases across all states of the country has shaken all sectors of life once again. With the fear of another lockdown resurfacing day by day, BCCI keeps its finger crossed on the fate of IPL.
The 15th edition of the mega T20 tournament will be getting bigger with the entry of 2 new franchises on the block. The beginning of bidding wars is also around the corner, as sources report that the BCCI might conduct the auctions in late February.
However, the league faces its toughest challenger of the last 2 seasons once again this year. The pandemic seems to be far from over and experts are in doubt of whether the IPL will return to its home. In 2020, the IPL was hosted in the UAE.
In 2021, the league did return to India but the break of the second wave forced it to stop midway. The second leg of the season was played in UAE later in the year.
The BCCI is optimistic about the chances of hosting the world’s biggest T20 fiesta in its home this time. If the present-day situation worsens further, the league might even be played in a few specific 2-3 venues. However, the officials are monitoring the situation closely before making the final call. As per a senior BCCI official, a backup plan of hosting the league overseas under unavoidable circumstances is also a possibility.
“BCCI is exploring all options which include overseas IPL as well. But the focus is to host the IPL in India for sure. As of now the priority is the auction, and the board will soon take a call,”he said.
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