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India facing IPL and T20 World Cup dilemma

Amlan ChakrabortyAAP
The gates are shut at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, one of venues at the closed-down IPL.
Camera IconThe gates are shut at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, one of venues at the closed-down IPL. Credit: AP

India's cricket board is hoping it might be able to squeeze the remainder of its lucrative Indian Premier League into a crowded calendar and is still confident of hosting the T20 World Cup later this year, a top official told Reuters.

Already looking at a $US270 million ($A350 million) revenue loss following the suspension of the IPL, the board faces a second financial hammer blow if the COVID-19 pandemic prevents India staging the ICC tournament in October and November.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, has not given up hope of cramming the 31 remaining IPL matches into the season, despite the tight demands of cricket's international schedule, known as the Future Tours Programme (FTP).

"We'll see if the situation improves," BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told Reuters.

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"We have FTP and the T20 World Cup lined up this year. If there's any window available, we'll try and see if we can complete the league."

The eight-team league with an estimated brand value of $6.19 billion ($A8 billion) was postponed indefinitely on Tuesday after personnel from four franchises tested positive for COVID-19 amid a rampant second-wave of the virus.

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Bhairav Shanth, the managing director of global sport consulting firm ITW, said the BCCI could still salvage a large portion of their financial losses if they can find a window.

"In that case, I think the hit on revenues will be marginal as the sponsorship deals and ad campaigns will have a chance to be completed," Shanth told Reuters.

India are scheduled to play the five-day World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton next month, and a five-Test series in England in August and September.

Resuming the IPL in India would depend on the worst of the pandemic subsiding, of course, with the health crisis also threatening the short-form Twenty20 World Cup.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have lined up the United Arab Emirates as the back-up T20 venue in case there is no improvement but Dhumal was confident there would be no need.

BCCI officials have said 2021 T20 World Cup would remain their tournament even if it had to be staged in the UAE.

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