IPL 2017 may be played outside India: Anurag Thakur

In a rather shocking development, the BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur revealed that the IPL governing body was contemplating a decision to move the IPL out of the country. Speaking to journalists at the BCCI headquarters, Thakur said that the Board was mulling on the different venues the IPL could be played in after taking a call on the conditions and availability of the venues.

”The IPL governing council will be looking at the venues in India and abroad. We have to check the availability of the venues and prevailing conditions,” Thakur told a select gathering of journalists during an interaction at the BCCI’s Delhi headquarters on Thursday.

The IPL has been moved to South Africa and the UAE in the past following internal conflicts in the country and the chances are that it may be on the move once more.

The Board’s decision to move the Indian Premier League out of the country became all the more clear and deliberate following a tweet from BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary.

“Very soon IPL may be played outside the country if this goes on. The loss to the GDP would not be insignificant.”

Very soon the IPL may be played outside the country if this goes on :)! Loss to the GDP would not be insignificant https://t.co/ngUnHDM0Pw

— Anirudh Chaudhry (@AnirudhChaudhry) April 17, 2016

The move comes following a severe water crisis in a few states across India. The crisis has led to the rescheduling of the venues for the matches to be played by the Mumbai Indians after the 30^th of April. Thakur said that he was checking with different state officials regarding water-harvesting.

“I have asked the state units to check water-harvesting structure,” Thakur said.

There is a school of thought that if there is a drop in revenue and players take a pay-cut, the BCCI will then be compelled to allow them to ply their trade in foreign T20 leagues like the ‘Big Bash’, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Bangladesh Premier League, to name a few.

“We are planning to have a commentators’ academy where interested youngsters who want to take up the profession will be able to hone their skills. And it will cater to various regional languages. We have seen how Virender Sehwag’s commentary has struck a chord with the cricket lovers during the recently-concluded World T20,” said Thakur.

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