No All-Star game before the start of IPL 2020

The much-anticipated All-Star game has been reportedly called off. The game which was set to take place ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a brainchild of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Last month, the former India skipper had confirmed that the charity match would take place just before the start of the main competition.

The game would have featured players from all the eight IPL franchises. As per previous media reports, South and West India teams would have formed one team while North and East India teams would have formed the other team. Media reports also suggested that the game would take place on March 25 in Mumbai.

But the game has now been called off, according to a report in Mumbai Mirror. The BCCI has not announced the decision yet but the news outlet stated that the franchises have been informed about the same. The BCCI recently revealed the schedule for the IPL but did not mention about the All-Star game which is a big indication that the game would not take place.

Reasons behind cancellation?

The news outlet further stated that the reasons for the cancellation are manifold. The report stated that the details of the game were not thought through to the fullest. The biggest factor behind the cancellation was the reluctance of the franchises who were not informed about the game before Ganguly announced it publicly.

The franchises were not willing to let go of players fearing potential injuries before the start of the season. Secondly, the teams did not want to spare players in the time they can utilize for promotional activities and camps. Besides, there were also monetary issues as there was no clarity over who would pay the players for the match.

“It is at least not happening before the start of the IPL,” an official of a south franchise was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

Meanwhile, the IPL is set to start on March 29 with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The final league game will take place on May 17. The schedule for the playoffs and final is not out yet.