Will the next IPL be hosted outside India?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is visibly miffed with the way IPL is treated in the country. The court’s decision to change venues has resulted in huge financial losses and as a result, the board is considering the prospect of hosting the next season of IPL outside India. The 2009 season of IPL was hosted in South Africa and it was a huge success. Taking heart from that the BCCI might go ahead with their decision.

“The BCCI has become a punching bag and the rise in PILs in courts against IPL has led to huge losses. The board has suffered and the teams have suffered due to a cancellation of air tickets and hotel bookings. There is also the issue of TV crew being shifted around to new venues. In this backdrop, the IPL’s governing council will meet soon to decide on the ideal venue for season 10. We will decide whether we can hold it in India or abroad,” BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said.

Twelve IPL matches have been moved out of drought-hit Maharashtra this season.The second edition of IPL was taken out to South Africa in 2009 because the then home minister P Chidambaram had refused to provide security personnel to the cash-rich T20 league due to a deployment of forces for the general elections.

“Something or the other keeps coming up, resulting in huge financial losses. It is becoming a logistical nightmare. We have to find a solution to this,” Thakur said.

“We offered to use water from the sewage treatment plant and also offered monetary help for drought-hit Maharashtra. But it meant nothing.  Now, more PILs are coming in..We have asked all state associations to adopt water-harvesting to conserve the precious natural resource,” he added.

Recently the people associated with the IPL have expressed their frustration on IPL being dragged in unnecessary matters.

When asked about Bombay High Court’s decision to move IPL matches out of the drought-hit Maharashtra, Indian star Yuvraj Singh said: “I don’t think IPL has got to do anything with what the situations are in India. We play a sport and try to excel in that. I don’t think there is any reason IPL should not go on.” 

Delhi Daredevils coach Rahul Dravid also expressed his views on the matter.

“It’s a serious issue, and the fact that so many people are dying because of shortage of water is serious, but linking it to IPL will trivialise it,” Dravid told. “How can a drought be as important as cricket? If not having IPL will solve the problem, then we should stop playing cricket.”

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar said the sport is being singled out to rake up controversies.

“What do you think has been happening for the last nine-ten years? It’s always something or the other cropping up before or during the IPL,” Gavaskar told. “Whether it’s a soft target or not, yes it is a soft target.”