The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League could reportedly be starting on March 27, with Mumbai pencilled in as the first option to host the entire tournament because of the presence of multiple stadiums in the cit
The report mentioned that the BCCI and the Premier League governing council had a meeting with all ten franchise owners on January 22, where they were informed of the likely March 27 starting date.
The league’s authorities also told the franchise owners that the first priority is to conduct the tournament in India, with a Mumbai bubble possible.
Further, if the rise in positive coronavirus cases starts to show a downward curve by then, the board will consider hosting the playoffs and the final at another venue in Ahmedabad.
The BCCI and IPL governing council have also communicated Plans B and C with the owners. The board has identified South Africa and the United Arabic Emirates as backup options if it is entirely infeasible for them to host the IPL 2022 in India. As it stands, however, the goal is to ensure that the tournament can be held in the country.
Since the city of Mumbai has three international venues – the Wankhede Stadium, the DY Patil Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium – and that would allow the authorities to limit travel for all teams, it will be easier to conduct the tournament even as the third wave of the pandemic creates uncertainty.
Mumbai also has a separate ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex, which has been used for domestic matches and as a training facility by several Premier League franchises.
“I am delighted to confirm that the 15th season of the IPL will start in the last week of March and will run until May end. A majority of the team owners expressed their wish that the tournament be held in India,”
BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement released.
The board will be wary of last year’s mishap. The 2021 campaign had to be suspended and shifted outside India to UAE after its 29 matches when it emerged that multiple teams have Covid positive cases inside their camps. It is believed the virus breached the tournament bubble when teams moved to Ahmedabad and Delhi after a largely immune leg of matches in Mumbai and Chennai.
A final decision with regards to hosting venues for the IPL 2022 will reportedly be taken on February 20.
“The BCCI was always keen on staging the 2022 edition that will see two new teams – Ahmedabad and Lucknow – in India. I can tell you that we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that IPL stays in India.”
“The BCCI has not compromised on the health and safety of its stakeholders in the past and will concurrently work on Plan B since the COVID-19 situation with new variants remains fluid. The mega IPL Auction will take place on February 12-13th and we will lock in venues before that,”
Shah added.
The report from ESPNcricinfo, however, stated that there is no real consensus among the owners when it comes to the alternate plan of hosting the tournament in the UAE or South Africa.
Few team owners believe that the IPL in UAE can be quite predictable as sides batting second enjoyed a heavy advantage during the IPL 2021 and T20 World Cup. But some have pointed out the limited travel that UAE enables with the nearby presence of all its venues.
