IPL 2020

IPL 2020 will probably be a shortened tournament - Rajasthan Royals co-owner

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Tue, Mar 31, 2020, 08:33 PM

"We have had a number of calls as owners with the BCCI to talk about what those plans might be, but it is clearly going to be postponed." © BCCI

Manoj Badale, one of the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, has revealed the franchise owners have discussed the possibility of holding the Indian Premier League behind closed doors but it's still unclear when the tournament can be scheduled.

While some of the owners expect the tournament to be played around June, Badale stressed he doesn't see the possibility of it happening in the near future. "As with the English Premier League, the atmosphere is a huge part of the spectacle, but, again, these are unprecedented times and sport needs to be put in the right perspective overall. If the way of ensuring the cricket economy survives is by playing behind closed doors, so be it," he told BBC 5 Live.

"In India, the COVID phenomenon has only really just landed so when we have our owners' conference calls, there's still an expectation that there may be a way of the games being played in June. Personally I can't see it happening until much later in the year. We have had a number of calls as owners with the BCCI to talk about what those plans might be, but it is clearly going to be postponed and it is unclear at this stage whether or not it takes place later this year."

One of the issues facing BCCI is the packed cricketing calendar with the ICC T20 World Cup also scheduled later this year. Badale stressed the owners are prepared for a shorter tournament. "The cricket calendar is so packed. There are very few gaps especially for a seven-week tournament, so I suspect even if a gap can be found, it would have to be a shorter tournament," he pointed out.

"And the uniqueness of the IPL is it gets the very, very best around the world so it is not just a collaboration between the BCCI, the owners and the Indian government, you need the collaboration of the other cricket boards as well. Because what makes the IPL special is the presence of not just the Kohlis and the Dhonis, but also the Stokeses and the Warners and the Butlers."

Badale, however, ruled out the possibility of scrapping the tournament this year. "I think we will have some form of tournament this year. It will probably be a shortened tournament," he said. "As long as people are prepared to be creative and as long as boards are prepared to work together collaboratively, it [IPL] is hugely important to the game of cricket. It is not just of importance to the Indians that the IPL takes place. If it was a choice of no IPL or a domestic player-only IPL I would choose the latter," Badale said.

"It is important for the whole game. It is [important] economically for some of the best players in the world. It is economically meaningful for the event organisers and for the broadcasters that participate. So the trickle-down effect of a tournament as big as the IPL not taking place in terms of its impact on more than just the players but (also) all the people whose livelihoods depend on it is pretty significant. So we have a responsibility to try and find a way of playing it if we possibly can."

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IPL 2020 will probably be a shortened tournament - Rajasthan Royals co-owner

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