MUMBAI: With India’s Covid-19 curve showing an alarming upswing, the BCCI has reportedly put in place a contingency plan of moving the upcoming Season 15 of the newly expanded 10-team Indian Premier League to South Africa, which had once hosted the IPL in 2009.
The BCCI is also exploring the Sri Lanka option as it puts on paper its pandemic-time Plan B, Indian Express reports.
Unlike the past two years when BCCI’s flagship event with international flavour was fully and partially held in UAE because of the pandemic situation in the country, the Indian cricket board is reportedly keen to look beyond the Gulf venue this time.
“We can’t be dependent on UAE all the time so we decided to explore more options, South Africa’s time difference also works out well for the players,” a BCCI official told the daily.
With India 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of South Africa, the IPL games, unlike in UAE or India, wouldn’t see last night finishes. In case host broadcaster Star Sports sticks to its preferred 7.30 pm IST start, the game’s first ball in South Africa would be bowled at 4 pm, which would be good for the players.
As per IE, the other factor which made the Indian board look at South Africa was the success of the ongoing series and also the India A tour before that. Feedback from the Test team has played a key role in the BCCI’s decision. Though the team have been in a bio-bubble since the start of the tour last month, the sprawling hotels and resorts that the hosts, South Africa cricket board, have earmarked for the tour party have come as a welcome relief for players. Since the restart of sports in pandemic time, there have been concerns about the mental health of players as they have remained isolated for long spells. With the IPL consisting of 10 teams this time, Season 15 is to be the longest ever.
“The place where the team was staying for the second Test is spread over several acres. There were walking tracks and even a pond on the property and that has made things easier for the players who for the last couple of years or so have been confined to their rooms on several overseas tours,” an official told the daily.
