With the mega-auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) inching closer, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning a meeting with the franchise owners on Saturday afternoon (January 22).
The virtual conclave will discuss potential avenues for the 15th edition of the league which is scheduled to begin on April 2. There is, however, no confirmation on the timing of the session.
“It was supposed to be tomorrow (January 22) but we have not received confirmation as yet,” multiple franchise officials and IPL chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed to Cricbuzz.
The meeting will discuss the venue and the BCCI will apprise the owners of the planning and the status of the auction. According to reports, they have suggested that South Africa and Sri Lanka are stand-by options, however, the BCCI and IPL Governing Council officials are doing their best to stage the tournament in India itself – with Mumbai and Pune being the venues.
The staging of the tournament will be justifiable if the COVID-19 situation in the country allows it. Indications are that the BCCI officials are optimistic about staging the event in India as of now.
Meanwhile, there are even discussions if Bengaluru is the right choice for hosting the mega auction on February 12 and 13. There is no decision whether the auction will be moved out of the southern city, but Mumbai is in the contingent.
New IPL team owners to be integrated:
There will also be a formal introduction of the owners of the new Ahmedabad and Lucknow teams. Besides, the deadline for the two new franchises to announce the players they have recruited ends on Saturday and the BCCI may reveal those names.
