IPL 2021: Whole tournament could be moved to Mumbai – Reports

IPL 2021: Whole tournament could be moved to Mumbai – Reports

Wankhede Stadium

According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to shift the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to Mumbai. The shift could reportedly happen as early as next week and the city has been chosen due to the fact that there are three stadiums there where teams will be able to play – the Wankhede Stadium, DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium.

There has been a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases in the bio-bubble since as many as 9 personnel tested positive for the virus yesterday including two players in Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). There had been no cases reported in the bubble before yesterday. With matches getting postponed and more tests being taken, there is a cloud of doubt hanging over the entire tournament at the moment.

BCCI to verify hotels and ditch the caravan model – Reports

BCCI
BCCI

According to ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI has already begun making preparations for shifting the tournament to Mumbai by ditching the caravan model which had teams shifting from one venue to another after playing a fixed amount of matches. If the shift happens, there could be double-headers to accommodate postponed matches including yesterday’s match between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

According to the reports, the BCCI has been making calls to various hotels in Mumbai to verify if the SOPs needed for a bio-bubble will be able to be followed. There are also plans to potentially stretch the tournament past May 30, although this would lead to affecting the World Test Championship final scheduled on June 18. For the same, the BCCI have already begun seeking permission for a reduced quarantine period from the UK government.

The IPL continues today with a match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in Delhi.

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