Hosting IPL abroad is very expensive, asserts Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly has stated that hosting the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India is the ‘first priority’ but he added that going out becomes expensive for everyone - i.e. franchises and board. Ganguly has further added that conversion rate and currency exchange rate make it a tougher affair abroad.
With the Coronavirus situation getting tougher day by day in India, with the current cases standing at 746,500 and casualties being 20,684, there have been increasing doubts whether the BCCI can pull off an entire season of the IPL in India. UAE, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the possible options if the tournament at all has to go abroad. However, Sourav Ganguly clearly confirmed that conversion rate and currency exchange rate make an overseas IPL a very difficult and expensive affair but he is open to the idea as the last resort.
"I will put it in this order. Firstly, whether we can (have an IPL) within the time frame, as the IPL has a limited window. Secondly, (host it in) India. If it's not possible, then we are thinking of going out (abroad). But going out where...because if you go out, it becomes expensive for everyone -- franchises and board. Because of the conversion rate and currency exchange rate, it becomes expensive. So we are monitoring but as I said, we are very keen to host it and (have) got our fingers crossed,” Ganguly said on India Today show 'Inspiration'.
"We don't know yet as we don't have a decision from ICC regarding the T20 World Cup. We keep hearing different things from the media but unless it is officially told to board members, you don't know what's happening," he said.
Considering the big Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai have been affected heavily, going there would make matters extremely difficult. Ganguly is aware of the situation and is taking stocks on that, and even has a contingency plan in place.
"We don't want the year 2020 to finish without an IPL. Our first priority is India and even if we get 35 to 40 days, we will host it. But we don't know where. If it doesn't happen in India because of COVID, then places like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, these have big teams in IPL; but at this point, you can't put your hand to your heart and say cricket will happen in these places. Ahmedabad, we were keen to go there. It's an amazing stadium. I don't know whether we can go there or not. It's not easy at the moment to say we are going to host it in India."
"See, it's been very tough for everyone of us and I look at everyone as a whole. Being in lockdown from March, April and May and then everything opened up. But everything opened up with a scare. Anyway, if you look at numbers, it's more than it was during lockdown. It's spreading very quickly. It's scary. I have never experienced any such thing ever in my life."
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