BCCI Likely to Shift IPL 2021 Venue From Maharashtra Due to Rise in COVID-19 Cases

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in all likelihood will be held in India. There has been a buzz for a while now that all matches of the IPL will be held in Maharashtra. However, now there have been reports that suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket of India (BBCI) is looking for other venues in different cities as the coronavirus cases are on the rise in the state.

According to a report published in India Today, the BCCI is looking out for other options in different cities including Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. The board will have to take care of quite a few things, if they choose to conduct the matches in any of these cities. For example in Kolkata and Chennai, the BCCI will have to ensure that the match dates do not clash with the polling of their soon to be held state election.

The report also adds that most probably,knockouts and the final of IPL 2021 will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Since now there are chances of a shift from Maharashtra, BCCI would most likely make bio-secure bubbles similar to the ones that were made for domestic tournaments like Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Previous reports had suggested Mumbai and Pune as possible venues of the matches. Mumbai was in consideration by the BBCI because of its four international venues, including Wankhede, Brabourne, DY Patil and Reliance Stadium. The reason why the Board was considering these venues was because the grounds in the two cities would have given them an opportunity to create a smaller pool of bio-secure bubbles.

Meanwhile, the final date of the IPL 2021 tournament has not been released. Last year’s IPL was held in UAE due to the coronavirus situation in India. The series was won by the Mumbai Indians.

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