The auction for the 2021 campaign of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to take place on February 18. Teams will have to build a squad that will be suited to Indian conditions as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is confident about organising the tournament in the subcontinent itself.
IPL treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told media on weekend that they are confident about organising the tournament in India after a successful 2020 season in the UAE. He also confirmed that IPL’s governing body is not even thinking about backup options as the sole focus is on having IPL in India.
Considering the decrease in the number of COVID cases in India in the past month or so, BCCI will have a good chance of hosting the tournament. Moreover, UAE has lately seen a big spike in an increase in coronavirus cases. UAE cricket board and BCCI had signed an agreement last season that will give UAE as first preference to host IPL 2021 and bilateral series against England in case India struggles to host both events.
At the moment, BCCI is also planning to have fans for the test series against England that is set to begin later this month. If the cricketing board of India successfully hosts England in the next two months, then the pathway will be clear for IPL to take place in the subcontinent itself. IPL may even have a good chance of having fans in the stadiums depending on the success of the series between England and India.
Dhumal also confirmed that BCCI is trying to get Indian players vaccinated to stage more domestic and international tournaments. Due to the pandemic and time limitations, BCCI decided to scrap Ranji Trophy for this year. The next four months are crucial for BCCI as they will need a flawless IPL tournament and series against England to organise more cricketing events in the country.