CHENNAI: It is still early days, but the buzz in BCCI circles on the T20 World Cup to be hosted by India in 2021 is, Delhi could be left out as one of the venues because of pollution issues. Dates for the global event, which comes a year after the one to be hosted by Australia in October-November, are yet to be finalised by the BCCI and ICC. It is expected to start around the third week of October and run till November second week.
The BCCI has to send a tentative list of venues to the international body, which it expects to do in March or by April, following which the dates will be made official. As per normal procedure, ICC announces fixtures a year in advance as it helps in logistical and travel planning for teams and fans. Though there is still time for the list to be made public, the ICC and the BCCI are understood to have started the basic groundwork.
Unlike in 2016, when India staged the tournament with seven cities as hosts, the 2021 edition might see the number go up to eight or nine if the ICC accepts it. Before that edition, the ICC and the BCCI were at loggerheads, as the world body wanted a maximum of five host cities. But this time, the BCCI expects to have its way since Australia has listed Hobart and Geelong among host cities apart from Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
This means the BCCI can bargain for at least two more venues. Like in 2016, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru are expected to be among the hosts. But Delhi, Mohali, Dharamsala and Nagpur might not be considered this time. Instead, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Hyderabad are expected to be on the list. Dharasmala and Ranchi or Mohali could be the other two.
Although Delhi is among the well-connected cities, the tournament scheduled in the festive season runs the risk encountering a pollution problem. Since 2016, matches in Delhi during the period have come under the scanner with a Ranji fixture being postponed. A few Sri Lankan cricketers suffered during a Test in 2017 and last year, there were concerns before a T20I between India and Bangladesh.
Of late, the capital has experienced a rise in air quality index around that time due to rubble burning in the National Capital Region. In 2021, Diwali falls on November 4, which might add to the problem. So Delhi might be used as a venue only for the qualification round involving six teams, or left out.