MUMBAI: Even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India is coming under increasing attack for allowing the Indian Premier League to go ahead in the middle of a catastrophic pandemic, the BCCI has reportedly granted permission to four of its affiliate associations – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Mumbai and Saurashtra – to host their intra-state T20 leagues immediately after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League on May 30.
BCCI interim chief executive Hemang Amin, in a letter to four state associations accessed by Sportstar, confirmed that the apex council has made an exception this year considering the shorter windows available due to the pandemic.
“Owing to the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, the BCCI is giving a one-time permission to organise the tournament within the 15-day window after completion of IPL 2021,” Amin stated in the letter. “Accordingly, the BCCI is pleased to grant you the approval to organise the tournament for the year 2021,” he added.
The letter stressed it was an exception and “not the norm” for state associations to be allowed to host the tournament closer to the IPL. The BCCI has also clarified that all the board guidelines pertaining to conduct of state T20 leagues will have to followed.
All four associations have so far planned for their T20 leagues to begin between June 1 and 4 but considering the extent of the pandemic, it will be interesting to see if the associations go ahead and host the tournament.
