IPL 2020 Could be Held in October or November if T20 World Cup is Postponed: Anshuman Gaekwad

BCCI apex council member and former India international Anshuman Gaekwad believes the T20 World Cup will likely not be held this year and that opens up a window for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 to be held.

Cricket, like almost every other sport, has come to a halt due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The IPL 2020 was supposed to happen earlier this year but was postponed to deal with the pandemic.

"I have my doubts that T20 WC will be held this year. About IPL, we cannot think of just now. It will depend on Indian conditions and the window is only during this T20 WC which is October-November," Gaekwad told 'PTI-Bhasha'.

"If the World Cup gets cancelled or postponed, then only IPL can happen but then also it depends on what the conditions are in India," he added.

The former two-time coach of the Indian cricket team also added that sport will now be very different due to the absence of live crowds and that players will have to be mentally strong to resume playing.

"Cricket is not going to be the same, the approach would be different. There will be no crowd in the stadiums. Cricketers are not used to play in empty stadiums.

"It will be one very difficult aspect of playing new type of cricket. It may take another two months or four months or more to resume cricket. It is not theory that you can read and write. You have to perform so nothing is going to be easy," he said.

"If you are not mentally strong, it will not be easy."