IPL 2022 set to begin on March 27, franchises, BCCI hope to conduct the tournament in India : #RashtraNews
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is expected to begin on March 27, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is confident of hosting the tournament across four venues in Maharashtra – the Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, DY Patil Stadium and the MCA Stadium in Gahunje.
In a virtual meeting with the franchise owners on Saturday, the BCCI decided that only if the COVID-19 situation worsens in the country, the league could be moved overseas. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which hosted IPL 2020 in its entirety and the second half of the 2021 edition, could be kept as a backup as it is a ‘tried and tested’ venue, even though a few franchises are in favour of South Africa.
Earlier, there were speculations that the tournament could be shifted to Sri Lanka or South Africa. But Sportstar understands that all franchises believe that the tournament should be held in India, maybe with no spectators.
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“All the franchises preferred to hold it across Mumbai and Pune as it would involve no air travel and bio-bubble can be protected,” a source in the BCCI said.
“Just in case, India is not in a position to host it, it could be moved elsewhere. While most franchises prefer the UAE, as they have the experience of hosting the tournament there, a few are in favour of South Africa. But we will take a call keeping all factors in mind if and when the situation demands. For now, we are looking at hosting the entire tournament in India,” the source added.
Sportstar had earlier reported that the Board had informal discussions with Mumbai Cricket Association on hosting the fixtures across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune. The Board officials and franchises feel there won’t be any problem in hosting the tournament in Maharashtra as there are enough star hotels and stadiums with state of art facilities, keeping travel requirements to a bare minimum.
“As of now, we plan to host the matches without crowds, at least till the first half of the tournament. However, we are assessing the COVID-19 situation, and a final decision on the venues is expected by February 20,” a top Board official confirmed to this publication.
The franchise owners, the BCCI office-bearers and the IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel attended the virtual meeting, where it was also decided that the mega auction will go ahead as per schedule in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13 unless the COVID-19 situation deteriorates and necessitates a change of venue.
With the addition of two new teams this time, the IPL will have 74 matches instead of 60. The franchises have been informed that the league will get over by May end. The fixtures are expected to be ready only after February 20 – once there is a final decision on the venues.
( News Source :Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Rashtra News staff and is published from a sportstar.thehindu.com feed.)
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