Possible venues for IPL 2020 outside India

 

The 13^th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was scheduled to begin on 29^th March, remains suspended indefinitely by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has brought the entire world to a standstill.

However, a ray of optimism has emerged for IPL amid the reports of postponement of the T20 World Cup that was due to take place between October and November in Australia. There has been news regarding the big-ticket event being pushed to 2021 which gives BCCI a window to hold the cash-rich IPL.

Unfortunately, India is among the worst affected countries and conducting a tournament of IPL’s scale might compromise the health system of the nation. Unless shifted to a new location, the cancellation of the league would amount to losses of more than Rs. 3000 crores for the BCCI.

In this article, we will look at the possible venues where IPL 2020 can be organized.

1.  United Arab Emirates

There have been multiple reports of the Emirates Cricket Board offering to host the IPL in the UAE.  Interestingly, the country had previously hosted the first-leg of IPL in 2014 to avoid collision of dates with the Indian general elections. The local authorities have recently allowed recreation spots such as gyms, cinemas and malls to reopen, meaning life is returning to normalcy in the country.

The UAE boasts of a number of world-class stadiums in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi. The UAE has also become a regular international destination for matches, most notably for the Pakistan team that has played its home matches in the country for a number of years.

The advantage of shifting IPL to the gulf nation is the ease of commute between the stadiums. The three cities are less than 150 kilometers apart and are well connected to each other by road, which will help the players and staff avoid flights and adhere to the social distancing norms.

2.  Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the few countries that have flattened the curve and kept the mortality rate due to the pandemic to a minimum. Reportedly, the island nation was the first to express its willingness to host the richest T20 league in the world. Back in April, the Sri Lankan Cricket board had proposed to organize the 13^th season of IPL.

There isn’t a dearth of international standard grounds in the country, with at least seven stadiums available for top-level matches. The BCCI will also benefit from the favourable broadcast timings as the two countries fall under the same time-zone, which implies that the viewership would not drop and in turn keep the ad revenue intact.

3.  In India but at fewer venues

India is the best venue for BCCI to organize the premier T20 contest of the country from a financial point of view. BCCI, the richest cricket board in the world, generates substantial revenue from hosting the Indian Premier League.

Although the nation has struggled to contain the outbreak until now, there are ways to stage the event in India, provided the situation improves over the next two months. The tournament can be held in two or three cities that have multiple stadiums to reduce travel and ensure safety of the players and organizers. The matches will have to be played without spectators.

Kings XI Punjab coach Anil Kumble is hopeful about conducting the event in India but with restrictions. “If we are going to have a stadium without spectators, then probably have 3 or 4 venues; there’s still a possibility, we are all optimistic,” said the former Indian cricket team captain.

All the above-mentioned options are feasible only if the global circumstances improve in the coming months. It will also depend on how the travel restrictions shape up once the world returns to normalcy. But, if there is a scenario of no IPL or an IPL in another country, the fans, players as well the board would most likely choose the latter.

 

 

By Sportz Interactive