IPL 2020: Curtailed tournament a possibility following franchise owners' meeting with BCCI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might be tempted to curtail the upcoming edition of the IPL following the Coronavirus pandemic, which has affected more than 100 countries across the globe.

The mega event, which has been temporarily postponed to 15th April, was earlier decided to be played behind closed doors. But, with the rise in the number of Coronavirus cases, BCCI had no other options but to defer the league.

However, it appears that a curtailed IPL might be on the radar after board members met with the franchise owners today in a bid to reach a decision on the tournament.

Jay Shah, the secretary of the board, stated that the well being and health of the fans, the players, and the employees are of utmost importance and the final decision would be taken keeping them in mind.

"The board will continue to monitor and work closely with the Government of India, state governments and other state regulatory bodies to decide on the future course of action in the best interest of public health. The BCCI and all its stakeholders are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for everyone involved in our great sport and the nation.

It is worth mentioning here that the second edition of the league was held in South Africa. However, the possibility of the IPL getting shifted abroad wasn’t discussed in the meeting, despite a total of six or seven alternatives being pondered.

“There were six to seven options discussed during the meeting between team owners and BCCI including a curtailed IPL,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by the PTI.

A majority of sporting events across the globe are getting affected due to the Coronavirus outbreak and it will be interesting to see what fate has in store for the 13th edition of the IPL.