IPL 2020 likely to happen in UAE or Sri Lanka, hints BCCI official

In a major development, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official hinted on Thursday, the Indian Premier League's (IPL) 2020 edition will not take place in India.

The official told a news agency, "We are yet to decide on the venue but in all probability, it is going outside this year. The condition in India doesn't look suited to have so many teams come in at one or two venues and then create an atmosphere which will be safe for the players as well as the general public even though the games may be played behind closed doors".

According to the BCCI official, the season if it gets hosted will move to either UAE or SriLanka with UAE being the frontrunner.

"The race is between UAE and Sri Lanka and we will need to decide on where we host the league depending on the situation there with regards to the coronavirus pandemic. Logistics also need to be looked into, so we will decide soon," he added.

The report adds that BCCI is waiting for an official word regarding the future of the T20 World Cup before taking a final decision regarding IPL 2020.

As far as IPL is concerned, BCCI hasn't cancelled the league and hopes to stage the tournament in September-October. BCCI will suffer a loss of Rs 4,000 crore should it be forced to cancel the league.