CHENNAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the franchises that the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League will be held in Maharashtra only. A formal announcement is expected next week with Ahmedabad being picked as a venue to host the play-offs and final.
With the Covid numbers coming down and most states allowing stadiums to operate at 50 per cent to 100 per cent capacity, the BCCI was mulling to take the IPL across India as usual. Moreover, it has included multiple venues for India’s upcoming series against Sri Lanka with Lucknow, Dharamsala, Mohali and Bengaluru set to host T20Is and Tests. While the limited-overs series against West Indies, which is ongoing, was played behind closed doors, there is still no update for the Sri Lanka series.
However, the BCCI is not keen on taking any chances with the IPL. It is understood that even the franchises were not keen on playing across India as it would bring air travel into play, which could potentially compromise the bio-secure environment. With all the parties agreeing to keep it in limited venues, the BCCI has also shelved the caravan format it tried last season in India and failed.
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Instead, with the number of matches increasing to 74 following the inclusion of two new teams, the BCCI is planning to host the league stages of the IPL in Mumbai and Pune. As previously reported by this newspaper, apart from Wankhede Stadium, Cricket Club of India and DY Patil Stadium, the BCCI is planning to host the matches at Reliance Stadium, which is also in Navi Mumbai to avoid overuse of pitches. Similarly, the BCCI will also add the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, as it can be easily covered by road.
It is not clear if the teams will have to shift their bases to Pune for the matches in the city. Even if it is so, the BCCI believes, it won’t be an issue as it can be easily covered by road. With regards to the Reliance Stadium, it has floodlight facilities and the only thing that remains to be checked is if it is conducive for the broadcasters.