MUMBAI: The six cities that will host the upcoming Indian Premier League are reportedly likely to be the ones that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will shortlist as venues for the T20 World Cup scheduled for October-November this year.
Usually, venues and dates for International Cricket Council (ICC) events are announced at least six months prior to the start of the tournament, but this time there could be a delay because of COVID-19 complications.
The BCCI was initially planning to host the event in eight cities but the prevailing situation due to coronavirus has made the Indian cricket board rethink it as it is keen to avoid travel complications, The New Indian Express reports. The upcoming IPL will now act as a dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup as the BCCI is looking to explore whether a similar caravan format can be used for the world event.
Unlike the IPL which involves only eight teams, the T20 World Cup will involve 16 sides before it becomes a 12-team event from the second round. Initially, the BCCI had shortlisted Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mohali and Dharamsala as venues, but it is now exploring other options. Keeping it in six cities means Mohali and Dharamsala could miss out and the BCCI is pondering whether the two cities can host the first round of matches involving the six qualified teams apart from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the daily reports.
The Super-12 stage, which has two groups, won’t require more than two cities to host matches. “Moving from one city to the other for one match will come with a huge risk. If the venue count is down, it will help us in delivering a smooth tournament. If need be, a similar schedule like IPL where matches are restricted to not more than two cities at a given point of time will be considered. We have to be as flexible as possible,” a BCCI official told NIE.
According to the daily, as as of now the BCCI is planning to recommend at least six venues with Chennai and Bengaluru being pushed as hosts for the semifinals and Ahmedabad (obviously) for the final.
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