The Indian Cricket Board's top boss reiterated that safety is their top priority, a day after the IPL was postponed and the three-match ODI series between India and South Africa was also called off amid coronavirus pandemic
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Saturday made it clear that the 13th edition of IPL will be a truncated one if the COVID-19 pandemic subsides but could not commit on the number of matches under the current circumstances.
The BCCI on Friday suspended the IPL from March 29 to April 15 due to government-imposed travel restrictions and refusal of three states to host any matches owing to the pandemic that has so far claimed more than 5000 lives and infected close to 1,50,000 people globally.
Ganguly said the situation will be assessed every week.
The extraordinary situation prompted the Board's top officials to meet the eight franchise owners on Saturday and explore various options, including organising a curtailed tournament. But shifting the tournament abroad was not discussed.
Here are the options discussed at the meeting:
- Curtailed IPL,
- Teams could be divided into two groups of four and then top four go into the play-offs,
- More double-headers, and on weekdays too.
- Holding all matches in just a couple of centres with restricted movements of players, support staff and TV crew.
- Play behind closed doors.
The Board's top boss reiterated that safety is their top priority, a day after the IPL was postponed and the three-match ODI series between India and South Africa was also called off.
The decisions to postpone the cash-rich league and the ODI rubber were taken hours after the Delhi government on Friday suspended all sporting activity in the national capital due to the ever-growing health crisis.
(With PTI inputs)