IPL 2021: Why the show must go on

As the BCCI had to call off the tournament at the halfway mark, the board now faces a loss of INR 2000 crore while the franchises may have to cope with another hundred crores if the rest of 31 matches don't go ahead. The big question is: Can the BCCI afford to bear the loss? Sudipta Biswas writes...

Hyderabad:There was a clamour from a section of the society to call off the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the COVID-19 hit nation mourned the death of thousands of its citizens.

For many Indians, celebrating the game of cricket in this time of unbounded pain and suffering is a sin. Even though 31 matches were already played in empty stadiums without causing any harm to anyone, they felt that watching the glitz and blitz of IPL in the present situation is a privilege that we can not afford. Instead of getting distracted by IPL's light-hearted soap opera daily evening, there was a call from them to feel the heat of watching the live telecast of burning pyres. Any distraction from it was seen as a way of contributing to the profits of BCCI, broadcaster and sponsors.

But BCCI didn't pay any heed to such noise. They felt that carrying on with the IPL was important not only to protect their biggest source of income but also to build a capacity in front of the world that India is ready to host the World T20 in October-November.

Though BCCI was nonchalant in the face of the growing hue and cry against the IPL, it finally had to postpone the mega 52-day 60-match event indefinitely after the virus breached IPL's bio-secure bubble. Multiple positive cases were reported from two of the worst pandemic hit cities: Delhi and Ahmedabad, the designated venue for the final.

Only 24 days of cricket was possible with 29 completed matches as several players and support staff of KKR, SRH, DC, CSK and RCB contracted the virus leading to the postponement of the league.

As the BCCI had to call off the tournament at the halfway mark, the board now faces a loss of INR 2000 crore while the franchises may have to cope with another hundred crores if the rest of 31 matches don't go ahead.

To avoid such a bleak milieu, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, president Sourav Ganguly and IPL Governing Council chief Brijesh Patel keeping a tab on all options to make the rest of the league happen. With the Special General Meeting (SGM) scheduled on May 29, the board officials are expected to churn out a blueprint for IPL while discussing the upcoming cricket season in India.

As BCCI is known for its might, they are unlikely to face a situation that will force them to bear a huge loss. Loss in income will also mean a lighter coffer. With the domestic cricket uncertain under the effect of the ongoing second wave, a lighter coffer may force BCCI to cut its operations for less profitable women's cricket, developmental tours for youngsters and cancel less popular tours and series. On Wednesday, the BCCI has reduced the women's national team's contract pool (October 2020 to September 2021) to 19 players from 22.

So, the discussion is on even though the chances of hosting the remaining matches look bleak at this moment.

BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, in fact, categorically said that IPL 2021 has not been cancelled; the board is looking at all the options to host the rest of the matches.

Recently, UAE, where the BCCI hosted the IPL 2020 and earned hefty INR 4000 crore, and English county sides Surrey, Warwickshire, and Lancashire have emerged as strong contenders to host the cash-rich T20 league as India continue to be battered by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But for BCCI, the biggest challenge now is to find a window in the coming months with the ICC Future Tour Programmes 2021 (FTP) packed with marquee tournaments such as the World Test Championship final, India's tour of England, World T20 in India, and the Ashes.

Amid such a scenario, it will be tough for BCCI to carve out a window for the remaining IPL matches. But the Indian board, as it has previously done, would not waste chances to demonstrate its power at the next ICC meeting before the World T20. If required, it can go to the negotiating table with ICC's full-time members.

At this moment, the most feasible option for BCCI is to call off South Africa's tour of India scheduled after the World T20 and conduct remaining matches at home, given that the COVID-19 situation has to improve in India.

But hosting IPL matches after the T20 World Cup poses another challenge to the BCCI. After such an exciting international tournament, will fans be ready for another blitzkrieg T20 league?

For fans, it could be an overdose of cricket. But BCCI is unlikely to take stock of fan's emotional well-being, as all it needs now is to protect the sponsors and broadcasters' rights to keep its coffer's brimming. And a brimming coffer will mean the Indian cricket board doesn't need to cut any of its developmental work for the next cricketing year.

To keep everything well-oiled for the future, BCCI needs to ignore what a section of the society has to say about its conduct, and it must continue with the game as it has done on previous occasions.