IPL 2021: 3 Possible windows BCCI can target to resume the tournament

The BCCI has suspended the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) indefinitely with positive COVID-19 cases inside the bubble. It all started with Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) testing positive for the virus. It was followed by CSK bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji and a bus cleaner contracting the virus.

Even as the BCCI was thinking to shift the tournament to Mumbai, Wriddhiman Saha of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Amit Mishra of Delhi Capitals (DC) also returned positive results. This led to the board taking a tough decision to suspend the tournament indefinitely. However, all is not lost for the cricket fans and the BCCI as they can explore multiple windows to finish the tournament.

Here we bring you three possible windows BCCI can target to resume IPL 2021:

1. Shift IPL to Mumbai and resume after a 10-day break

BCCI was exploring this option after positive cases detected in KKR and CSK camp. It was reported that the board was thinking to shift the tournament to Mumbai entirely and organise it in the three stadiums in the city. Well, this option could still be explored, but after a 10-day break which is significant when it comes to ending the quarantine period for all the teams.

This will also give time for the BCCI to create a bubble in Mumbai and once all the players test negative for COVID-19, they can be safely moved to the respective bubbles again. Yes, they will need some stringent measures to follow and moreover, they will need to assure all the players of safety again.

In terms of shifting IPL to Mumbai, a part of the first leg was played in the city without any hindrances and the cases have become less now with almost a complete lockdown-like measures in Mumbai and Maharashtra at the moment. While this will take some courage for the BCCI to resume IPL soon, this option can be explored.