Home Articles IPL 2022 all but set to be held in India; franchises urge...
KEY STORY
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been severely affected by Covid-19 over the last two seasons. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has had to stage the entire 2020 season in UAE because of the virus while the second half of the 2021 campaign was taken to the Middle East for the same reason.
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The threat of the virus has also been looming large on the forthcoming 2022 season. Though the BCCI hasn’t yet confirmed where the 15th edition of the league will be held, South Africa and UAE were kept as backup venues for a scenario where Covid-19 cases once again went out of control in India.
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However, with restrictions being lifted all across the country amid the downward trend shown by the virus, the BCCI is all but convinced about organising the T20 league in the country. Whether the league will be held across 10 venues or just in only a couple of cities, however, is yet to be determined.
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A BCCI official, on the matter, confirmed that the league will 100% be held in India. The official told the Indian Express: “It will be in India,” on being asked the big question. The franchises, as per the paper, have one request from the BCCI which is to finalise the venue of the league before the IPL 2022 auction so that the team can strategise their signings accordingly.
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Earlier, a few reports had also suggested that the league stage of the tournament could be held in Maharashtra while the playoffs could be organised in Ahmedabad.
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The BCCI secretary Jay Shah, in a conversation earlier, had said that the board will try everything in its hands to ensure that the IPL is held in India only.
CONCLUSION
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“I can tell you that we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that IPL stays in India. The BCCI has not compromised on the health and safety of its stakeholders in the past and will concurrently work on Plan B since the COVID-19 situation with new variants remains fluid. The mega IPL Auction will take place on February 12-13th and we will lock in venues before that,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said in a statement.
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The IPL 2022 auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. With the addition of two new franchises, the league will have 74 matches in total.
