T20 World Cup 2020 to be rescheduled to 2022; IPL most likely to be played in October-November window

With a day to go from the next ICC meeting, there are certain speculations that have surfaced. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 scheduled to start on October 18 might now be shifted to 2022. Before you start thinking why did a major planned world event got shifted to two years later, instead of the upcoming year, let us explain the reasons.

The ICC had planned to host a T20 World Cup in back-to-back years. Australia would have hosted the one in 2020, while India was going to play hosts to the 2021 edition. However, now the 2021 edition will be played in October of that year as planned while the 2020 edition will be shifted to 2022. One of the major reasons why ICC can make this move without too much to think about is because, in 2022, there isn’t any world event to start with.

IPL 2020 might be held in October

After the 2021 T20 World Cup, the next world event was scheduled to be played in India again and that was going to be the 50 overs World Cup in 2023. There were ideas that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 might be shifted to the March or April of 2021, which is towards the end of the Australian summer.

However, this would create a situation where two world events might be played in a gap of six months, as the 2021 T20 World Cup is scheduled in October of that year. This idea has been opposed by the official broadcasters, Star Sports. The sources, according to India Today, believe that the broadcasting company has reported that it wouldn’t be feasible to host two World Cups in 2021 and two IPL tournaments in six months.

If the T20 World Cup is transferred to 2022, it would allow the BCCI to sweep in with an IPL season in October-November window. The board is monitoring the situation as of now and is taking its time. It is likely that IPL will happen at some point this year. As far as bilateral cricket series’ is concerned, India has been in talks with Cricket South Africa (CSA) for a T20 series in August in the rainbow nation.

India’s tour down under later this year also seems to be going ahead as planned given the COVID-19 situation in Australia. However, the Indian players might have to spend 14 days in quarantine on their arrival in the country, according to the rules of the Australian government.