BCCI Official Gives Update on Possibility of IPL 2020 in Sri Lanka

The 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) season may have been suspended due to coronavirus threat, but the BCCI is getting proposals from other countries to host the tournament, and one board who showed interest was neighbour Sri Lanka.

As per reports, when the IPL governing council decided to postpone the tournament for the second time after the Indian central government decided to extend the lockdown in the country by three more weeks, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva offered his board’s willingness to host the cash-rich tournament.

But BCCI is not keen at this time!

Many top gaffers within BCCI is not keen on the idea when the world is fighting a common threat and is closed. In fact, the BCCI didn’t get any formal offer from SLC, as per a senior BCCI member.

“The BCCI will not be in a position to say anything when the world is closed,” a senior Board official was quoted as saying.

“There is no proposal from SLC yet and obviously no discussion,” the official said when asked what will be the BCCI’s stand when the offer is on table.

Sri Lanka is one of the least affected countries with the COVID-19, with cases just over 200, while India’s situation is deteriorating with easy passing day, as it has more than 13,000 active cases.

There’s a precedent to follow if the IPL do happen outside India because the BCCI had organized the tournament in South Africa before.

Simon Katich says Australia or South Africa is an option!

Earlier, the Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Simon Katich said that he is keen on IPL to go ahead even it means it is held in Australia, South Africa, or in Sri Lanka.

“Whether it would be in Australia [or elsewhere], that’s an interesting topic of conversation,” said Katich.

“There would be a few teams – us in particular at RCB, we’d be very happy for it to be played abroad, because a number of our overseas players are Australian and South African, who really would enjoy these conditions in Australia. It would be interesting to see if that would eventuate but obviously it’s one of many scenarios that’s being discussed.”