Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Days after the BCCI decided the schedule for the remainder of IPL 2021, clouds of uncertainty started looming over the tournament. As per BCCI's latest plans, the remaining 31 matches of the tournament are slated to commence on September 19 with the final being played on October 15. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that October 18, just three days after the finale of IPL 2021, will see the T20 World Cup getting started if everything goes as scheduled. This gave rise to speculations that the ICC might not let BCCI to extend IPL 2021 till October 15.
As tensions grew among the fans regarding the feasibility of remainder of IPL 2021, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has himself come out to clarify that the mega event will take place as scheduled.
No change in schedule of IPL
“IPL will be held between September 19 and October 15,” confirmed Rajeev Shukla as quoted by IANS on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, regarding the speculations that the ICC could force BCCI to conclude the remaining matches of IPL 2021 by October 10, an official from the apex cricket governing body has clarified that there is no such rule that demands any event to end at a certain gap with the international tournaments.
"...there is no rule on the need for a gap ahead of an ICC event. The ICC needs 10 days to prepare the pitch and the ground ahead of an event. That too is a norm and not a rule,” said an ICC official to IANS.
The second wave of COVID-19 in India had forced the postponement of IPL 2021 midway after several cases of the infection emerged in the tournament's bio-bubble. If the crisis situations stays like this, if would be almost impossible for the BCCI to host the T20 World Cup slated to start on October 18 in India. Meanwhile, the Indian cricket governing body has been granted time till June 28 to decide on hosting the tournament.
“We will release the dates and venue of the T20 World Cup only in July. We cannot comment on it as of now... The rest of it is still being worked out between the BCCI and the ICC. We can talk about it only later,” the official added.