Reports | BCCI set to lose more than Rs 2000 crore owing to IPL 2021 postponement

Last year, the BCCI dodged a bullet as they managed to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE after the pandemic disrupted the original schedule, but that might very well not be the case this time around as it is believed that the board is set to incur significant losses. The 2021 edition of the IPL was postponed indefinitely earlier today and it looks unlikely that it will be completed, and this could spell disaster for the BCCI. According to a PTI report, the board could lose over Rs 2000 crore if the tournament is not completed.

"We would be losing anything between Rs 2000 to Rs 2500 crore for the midway postponement of this season. I would say something in the range of Rs 2200 crore will be closer to accurate estimation," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The board, it is believed, is set to lose a large chunk of the broadcast money which it would otherwise have gained in full. Should Star, who has a five-year Rs 16,347 crore deal, pay Rs 54.5 crore per game, it would see the BCCI losing a staggering 1690 crore, as just 29 matches were completed in the season. The tournament’s title sponsors VIVO are supposed to pay Rs 440 crore per season, but the postponement could see BCCI receive less than half the aforementioned amount.

"Slash all the payments by half or a bit less and you will be reaching a loss in the range of 2200 crore. The actual losses could be much more but this is a back of the hand calculation for the season," the official added.

It is also believed that players' payment would be based on duration rather than pro-rata.