FILE PHOTO: Former Indian cricketer and current BCCI (Board Of Control for Cricket in India) president Sourav Ganguly reacts during a press conference at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai Photograph:( Reuters )
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to be played in the months of April and May with India hosting the lucrative T20 tournament. T
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to be played in the months of April and May with India hosting the lucrative T20 tournament. The ongoing edition of IPL (2020) was shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is being held behind closed doors but the BCCI president has now confirmed that the 14th edition of IPL will be back in India.
There were plenty of speculations surrounding IPL 2021 and many suggested that it could be held once again in the UAE due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in India. However, Ganguly has quashed the reports saying that India will host IPL 2021. The BCCI president further said that India will also host England in 2021 while additionally hosting the Ranji Trophy – India’s premium domestic tournament – in the country.
“Yeah, absolutely. April, May we’ll have another one [IPL 2021 season],” Ganguly told India Today.
“No, no it’s not true [the speculations]. The UAE was only for the IPL. Yeah, yeah. We will host England in India. We will host domestic cricket in India. Ranji Trophy, we will create bio bubble and we will do it.
“We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. ISL starting in November in Goa, we’ll be fine. The scare, that is not there anymore and the IPL has helped a lot,” Ganguly added.
The former Indian captain further lavished praise on the quality of cricket in the IPL. Without downplaying other T20 leagues in the world, Ganguly said IPL is in the different league and the craze of the fans along with the quality of cricket take the T20 tournament to a whole different level.
“Yeah absolutely, it’s the quality of cricket [in the IPL], it’s the madness about cricket in this country. It’s the fans who actually make it successful. And competition. It’s the quality of player, you go around and see the leagues in the world and I respect them, but this is different [the IPL],” Ganguly upheld the quality in the IPL,” he said.
The final of IPL 2020 is scheduled to be played on November 10 at the Dubai International Stadium.