Defending champions Mumbai Indians, who narrowly failed to make it through to the playoffs in the ongoing IPL season, have planned a tour of the United States of America after the completion of India’s tour of West Indies in late August. A BCCI official has told Indian Express that they have been informed unofficially about the Mumbai team’s plans, and that a more detailed itinerary shall be discussed soon.
This development comes four years after the plan was initially announced by a BCCI working committee that IPL teams would be allowed to play friendly matches with teams in ICC Associate or Affiliate countries in the June-August window. The logic behind this move was to spread the game internationally, and to also generate revenue and increase fan base for the IPL teams.
However, the teams themselves have been hesitant to tour other countries because of the complications involved. However, with the Champions League T20 tournament having been terminated last year, Mumbai Indians might be only the first IPL team to take the decision to utilise the free window in August-September for some cricket in foreign shores.
“The BCCI allows franchises to play three games with associate countries. It builds a fan base outside India. IPL has grown big over the years and we have not only followers in India but abroad too. The recent reports have clearly stated that fastest growing league in the world is IPL. There is no harm if any franchise plays outside India,” the BCCI official has been quoted as saying.
He has also said that this tour will happen immediately after India’s tour of the West Indies, which shall go on till 22 August. Captain Rohit Sharma will therefore possibly be involved in the friendly matches in America.
Despite the teams’ reluctance to tour associate countries before this, the BCCI has claimed before that such foreign tours by IPL teams are imminent. USA, Canada, Netherlands, Scotland, Malaysia and Singapore have been some of the countries cited as possible venues.
Rajasthan Royals are the only IPL team to have set a precedent of touring other countries. In July 2009, they played the Middlesex Panthers, then the reigning English Twenty20 champions, in the British Asian Cup. The following year, they announced plans to create the first global sports alliance, partnering up with Hampshire, Cape Cobras, and Trinidad and Tobago. That venture failed to take off, however, as the Royals got involved in legal battles and their fortunes went downhill.
Teams have previously feared that their high-profile players might demand a higher salary for these off-season matches, and it is something yet to be seen how this and other such details are arranged. Whether MI play the USA national cricket team or whether they play regional teams is also something yet to be seen.
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