As the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is going to take place in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to have different venues across four to five cities. While the logistical part will be discussed, the idea has been going around, and it is being discussed by the senior officials of the board as well.
While speaking to ANI, a BCCI official said that the idea had been discussed and the 14th edition of the cash-rich league could be played in more than one city if things go as per their plan.
“We are exploring the possibility of conducting the IPL at more venues than originally planned. The intent is to take it to more fans as the situation is moving towards normalcy. The feasibility of the bio-secure bubble and logistics will of course be crucial to determine the venues finally. It is a fluid situation and the health of the participants is our primary concern,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the cities could be – Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad among others. While the tournament is yet to begin in its original window, franchises are open to the idea of playing the league in more than one city amid the COVID-19 situation.
“See, there is still some time left for the league to get underway, but we are more than keen to play the league across a few cities. The worry with hosting it in one city is that the COVID-19 situation is constantly changing. So, if by chance one of the cities picked sees a situation where it gets difficult to host the games, another city can go ahead and logistically it will be easier for the board and the franchises,” an IPL franchise official shared.
However, the board has made it clear that the bio-bubble restrictions will be there to ensure the safety of the players the way when the tournament was shifted to the UAE in 2020.
“With multiple cities, obviously there will be individual bubbles. While we want fans from different cities to enjoy the games, safety of the players and those involved in the league will be a priority,” the BCCI official told.
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