BCCI to shift Tata IPL 2022 to South Africa or Sri Lanka amid surge in covid cases: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) once again find itself in the middle of the stranded sea as the surge in COVID19 cases in India has compelled the cricket board to think of other possible options to host the elite tournament. The Indian cricket board currently has little to no clarity on the IPL amid the surge in the covid cases in the country.
As per the reports of the Indian Express, the BCCI is now keeping South Africa and Sri Lanka on the standby list to host the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) if India fails to heal from the awkward covid situation quickly.
Hosting the cash-rich league in India is BCCI’s first priority with all ten teams playing in home-away format. Separate 10 venues will be used for the tournament and each team is likely to be scheduled to play as many as 18 matches in the IPL 2022.
The COVID’s third wave is still in its nascent stage in India currently and possibilities of hosting the IPL in India are endless despite rise in the cases. Recently, the BCCI was also contemplating hosting the entire IPL 2022 in Maharashtra, however, the plans seem to fade away as Maharashtra is reporting massive covid spikes on daily basis.
The Indian cricket board is also not willing to always look to the UAE for hosting the IPL. The last two seasons of the tournament were hosted in UAE only.
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“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,” said a BCCI official.
Team India is currently on the tour of South Africa. Following the ongoing third test match, India and South Africa will lock horns in the three matches ODI series, starting January 19th. If the India tour of South Africa concludes successfully without any hindrance of covid-19, the Indian cricket board would feel encouraged to consider hosting the IPl 2022 in South Africa.
“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,” said an official.
Moreover, the chaos caused by Omicron seems to have settled down and the South African government have begun lifting the restrictions in the country. With all encouraging signs coming, South Africa pose itself as a strong contender to host the IPL 2022, if India fails to recover on time.
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