The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was under high pressure, as it struggled to find a window for the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season. Nonetheless, thanks to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, he has managed to do so and is currently hosting it in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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The tough circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for the tournament to be hosted in India. This has marked the second instance of the tournament being held in the UAE, and the third instance of being played overseas.
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However, Indian cricket has suffered considerably since March, with a number of international commitments being postponed. Consequently, the board has suffered a substantial loss on financial grounds.
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Nonetheless, Ganguly has made it clear that it would prioritise hosting the upcoming tour of England in India. Although nothing can be confirmed right now, it is understood that failure to do so would compel India to host it in the UAE. As per reports, BCCI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), in order to assist the former to host matches in the UAE.
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"We also have the same facility in Mumbai - CCI [Brabourne], Wankhede and DY Patil [stadiums]. We also have Eden Gardens [in Kolkata]. We have to create a bubble. We want to hold our cricket in India, that's where the game is, that's where the heart is. But, we are monitoring the COVID situation," said Ganguly, reports PTI.
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"Everything is fluid. It's been hard for the last six months to keep everything in order. You want your cricket to happen. You want lives to get back to normal, there are players involved. But, you also want to have a close look at the COVID situation," he added.
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Ganguly also made it clear that India would have a curtailed domestic season ahead. However, the venues would be limited, as it would be a tough challenge to create a bio-bubble sphere across every venue in the country.
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"We are monitoring it. We want to have our domestic season. We have all the combinations, situations ready in our mind. We will try and make it happen, as much as we can," he concluded.
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