IPL a possibility even if it starts by 1st week of May: BCCI official

The Indian Premier League’s 13th edition may be delayed further if the coronavirus surges in India. IPL 2020, which was scheduled to start on March 29, was delayed till April 15 as a precautionary measure in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is also mulling a curtailed IPL season if things come under control by the end of April and the first game is played in the first week of May.

“The latest we can wait is till the end of April. If the first game isn’t played by the first week of May then it will be almost impossible to have the league this year. Even if we have to wait until the end of April to follow all the procedures, we can take a cue from the South Africa edition and conduct the league successfully. If you remember, that was the shortest IPL with 59 games played over 37 days and we can do the same. But certain measures will have to be taken,” a BCCI official said speaking to IANS.

If IPL is organised in May, it’s more likely to be held in limited venues as logistic and travel will be an issue. Maharashtra is at the top of the priority list as it has four ground, three in Mumbai and one in Pune.

“You cannot travel around the country in such a scenario. If we get the necessary permissions, we will have to stick to a place like Maharashtra where we have three stadiums in Mumbai and a stadium in Pune. I am sure this will then help us ensure that teams not only get fresh wickets to play but also there is minimal travel involved. But before that, the government must deem it fit to organise tournaments. Public and player safety is the priority as the BCCI President has time and again said,” the official explained.