IPL Should Happen In September-October: Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

Former India leg spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) should be held this year as it gives a platform to young cricketers to make a name for themselves. The fate of the thirteenth edition of the league is hanging in balance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

IPL 2020 was scheduled to start on March 29 and finish on May 17. However, the BCCI had to suspend the league indefinitely in the light of the coronavirus pandemic. But the board has made it clear that it wants to organist the league this year, failure of which will see the board lose a revenue of around INR 4,000 crore.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly recently said that the board is exploring all the options to organise the tournament this year. And Laxman Sivaramakrishnan believes the tournament should be held in September-October. He also opined that the IPL is the best conducted T20 league in the world.

“IPL is the best conducted T20 league and it should happen in September-October and it should also happen again in April-May (2021),” Laxman Sivaramakrishnan was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

The former cricketer-turned-commentator further said that BCCI will have to decide on the future of IPL this season but they are waiting for ICC’s decision on the T20 World Cup. The ICC has deferred a decision on the World Cup to July.

“ICC (International Cricket Council) has to decide about the T20 World Cup and it’s BCCI which has to decide about the IPL.

“BCCI is still waiting for the ICC to decide on what they are going to do. And the IPL, people talk about money and money, but it’s also not only money that the BCCI gets, players get, the respective countries’ cricket boards get. The young generation is being forgotten,” Sivaramakrishnan said.

He went on to say that hosting the IPL in September-October this year and the next edition in April-May next year could help the players prepare for the two T20 World Cups.

“We have seen a lot of talent that played IPL and T20 internationals for India. So I am quite keen for IPL to happen just for the sake of seeking some new talent. And also with the mind that we will have IPL in September or October and IPL again in April, May. We will prepare all the cricketers who take part in the IPL much better for the two T20 World Cups,” he said.

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