Anurag Thakur unsure about India's participation in 2017 Champions Trophy

The Indian team might face a dilemma in coming days as the latest reports from The Hindu states that the recommendations from the Lodha Committee may cost the Indian team a Champions Trophy spot in 2017. If the BCCI decides to implement Justice RM Lodha Committee’s recommendations, then there may arise a situation where the BCCI will have to choose between participating either in the Champions Trophy or to go ahead with the IPL in 2017.

According to the reforms suggested by the Lodha Panel, there has to be a 15-day gap before and after the IPL. The Champions Trophy 2017 is scheduled from 1 June to 18 June while the IPL is likely to end somewhere around the last week of May.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur held a special general meeting at the headquarters in Mumbai. Speaking to the media Thakur said that, “I don’t know whether India will be able to play Champions Trophy or not. If you go by the Lodha Committee report you have to play either the IPL or the Champions Trophy. So BCCI has to take a call on that". India are also scheduled to play Australia before the IPL.

Thakur was asked if the IPL could be rescheduled in order to avoid the problem, and he had this to say - “You tell me how you can do it. I will give you the window.”

The recent past has seen the BCCI being very uncomfortable with several of the Lodha Panel recommendations. However, this one seems to be a worrying situation not just for the BCCI officials but also for the players and fans.

The BCCI president doesn't seem too happy with the idea of rescheduling the IPL, "You have certain months to play in India. There is a window made available for IPL so you have to take a call whether the world’s fastest growing league, which has showcased to the world how you can make domestic cricket more popular, and give birth to many other leagues like football, hockey, badminton, kabaddi and all that".

Anurag Thakur pointed out that the BCCI has undergone several reforms in the recent months. Most of the recommendations by the Lodha Panel have been accepted by the BCCI in recent times and hence it seems more than likely that the 15-day window might be implemented as well.