The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its President, Sourav Ganguly had made it amply clear through his earlier statements that the Indian Premier League (IPL) would go ahead as per its usual schedule i.e. in April and May. The 2020 edition did not follow the same due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the postponement of the tournament to September.
The 2020 edition was not held in India but was shifted to the UAE with three venues – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah hosting the matches. The tournament turned out to be a success and ended with Mumbai Indians (MI) lifting the trophy for a record 5th time by beating the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the final.
‘IPL depends on how Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy plays out’
According to reports from the Mirror, it has been revealed that the franchises have been asked to declare their list of retained players by January 21. Further, a mini-auction is reportedly scheduled to be held in the second week of February. Also, UAE has been marked as a contingency venue in case it becomes impossible to conduct the tournament in India again.
”How we approach the next IPL is dependent on how the Mushtaq Ali plays out,” a BCCI official reportedly told the Mirror. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is scheduled to begin this week on Sunday and the bio-secure bubble regulations have been put into use for the same. All decisions with regard to the tournament are expected to be taken in the next Governing Council Meeting of the BCCI.
