Former India captain Rahul Dravid has explained the reason behind BCC’s s desperation to host the IPL this year. Despite uncertainty all around due to the coronavirus pandemic, the BCCI never gave up on conducting the lucrative tournament and will finally host it in the UAE due to the alarming situation in India.
The thirteenth edition of the tournament was scheduled to take place between March – May. However, the BCCI was compelled to suspend the league indefinitely in the light of the coronavirus outbreak. But BCCI’s persistent efforts have paid off and the tournament will finally take place this year.
Last month, IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed that the venue for the tournament and also stated that the league would start from September 19. The full schedule of IPL 2020 will be out only after the IPL Governing Council’s meeting this month.
Rahul Dravid on BCCI’s decision to host IPL this year:
As BCCI gear up for IPL 2020, Rahul Dravid has defended their decision to conduct the tournament during the pandemic and also explained the reason behind it. The legendary batsman, who is currently heading the National Cricket Academy, explained the importance of IPL and how the revenue generated from it is used for cricket in country.
He stated that domestic cricket does not generate substantial revenue and thus conducting IPL is very important for the game. Speaking during a webinar organised by Deccan Herald, the former coach of India A and U19 sides also said that the BCCI will create a bio-secure bubble to ensure the safety of the players during the IPL 2020 in UAE.
“I’m sure leagues like the IPL will be able to put in the kind of bio-secure environments required, like what EPL, Bundesliga or what ECB did with the England-West Indies series,” Rahul Dravid, who is currently heading the National Cricket Academy (NCA), said.
“I’m sure every effort will be made to do that. Lets be honest. There is a lot of revenue that rides with tournaments like the IPL. I know if you’re cynical about it, you can only look at the money that the big players make or maybe the franchises or BCCI make, but where does that money go? It goes down to state associations, in conducting Under-19 and Under-16 tournaments, so a lot of the revenue associated with the game.
“The fact of the matter is, none of the domestic sport actually generates any revenue. In fact, it costs a lot of money to hold. So if you want to give young boys and girls the opportunity to play, if you want to give them opportunities to express their talent, money has got to come from somewhere. The reality is, to conduct tournaments and develop high-class athletes, it costs money. There’s a financial element involved,” he further explained.
Rahul Dravid went on to say:
“Its easy to say (BCCI is) conducting it (the IPL) only because of the huge finances riding on it. I would like to think, without compromising on safety and ensuring all the SOPs are in place to conduct a safe and secure tournament, the money generated from the IPL filters all through our sport and helps fund junior and domestic cricket. That is why sporting organisations are keen to conduct these tournaments.
“They understand if we don’t have that revenue, not only will that tournament suffer but the ripple effect will be felt all the way down,” he explained.