Picture Credit: Twitter/@ICC
It's been an important day for Indian cricket when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken some big calls in its Special General Meeting (SGM). While the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been confirmed to have moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Indian Board also agreed to seek time from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host the T20 World Cup in India. And now a BCCI official has also disclosed the possible plan which the board might pitch to the world cricket governing body to get the permission to have the marquee event in the country.
It is being learned that owing to the COVID-19 crisis in India, which led to the suspension of IPL 2021 midway, the board is open to hosting the entire ICC event in the Mumbai-Pune-Ahmedabad zone. Such a setup is being considered to reduce travel. While Mumbai already has three international stadiums, Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has already been used to host international matches. In addition, Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium can be considered to host the final leg of the competition.
Ultimately, ICC has to take a call: BCCI official
However, despite their plan, a BCCI official admitted that there is no guarantee of India getting to host the event.
"It involves a lot of factors, but we have to have a plan. Ultimately, the ICC has to take a call," a board official was quoted as saying in a Sportstar report. The ICC has already picked UAE as a back-up venue to host the T20 World Cup and if the showpiece tournament indeed happens there, it would be interesting to see how the ICC manages the grounds after conducting a packed IPL schedule.