BCCI Reportedly Consider Staging Mini IPL In September-October

India’s governing body BCCI is making every possible attempt in expanding the world’s premier tournament that is lucrative Indian Premier League. If sources doing the rounds are to be believed, BCCI is mulling over options in staging mini IPL by re-utilising the two-month window in September-October which was remained untouched following the postponement of the erstwhile Champions League T20 tournament.

It should be noted that CLT20 was an inter-franchise annual T20 tourney, co-owned by India’s BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). The shorter tournament involved top T20 teams from across the world battling it out against each other and the last edition was played in 2014.

BCCI plans to stage mini-IPL: Report

As per the minutes of BCCI Annual General Meeting, accessed by the Indian Express, the top cricketing body in India is thinking deeply about getting back their two-month window so much so that they can stage a mini-IPL in it.

“The Champions League (CLT20) used to be played during the Sep/Oct window of around 15-20 days, however, CLT20 has discontinued five years ago, the last event being the CLT20-2014. The Asia Cup, which is another event hosted every alternate year, was generally played during June, however, after CLT20 was discontinued the Asia Cup is now played during the CLT20 window of Sep/Oct and ICC has also scheduled the T20 World Cup in 2020 (Australia) and 2021 (India) around the same time.”

“Since the Sep/Oct was CLT20 window, BCCI should look at utilizing this as a 2nd IPL window so the existing teams can have a longer participation instead of the two months and this will also entail that BCCI creates a new revenue stream which will be beneficial for the teams, BCCI and extension of brand IPL,” Hemang Amin, Indian Premier League’s chief officer notified the IPL GC as quoted by the Indian Express.

It has been learnt that IPL teams could be permitted to play friendlies against each other overseas in the near future Meanwhile, the IPL Governing Council also had a meaningful discussion on whether the franchises should be permitted to play friendlies with associate ICC members in the month of July-August.

Indian Premier League’s chief officer has informed GC that the friendlies can be played among IPL teams rather than playing against ICC associate members. “Till date no such friendlies have been played, however, a number of teams have requested that IPL teams be allowed to play IPL friendlies against each other at an overseas location instead of playing against an ICC associate member,” he added.

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