IPL 2021 Suspended: If We Fail To Complete The IPL, The Loss Will Be Close To INR 2500 Crore - Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has hinted at losses amounting to around INR 2500 crore if the now-suspended IPL 2021 isn’t completed.

On Tuesday, after cases across three franchises – 2 each in Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings and one each in Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals – the tournament was indefinitely postponed with 29 of the 60 scheduled games played out; another case, that of CSK batting coach Mike Hussey was announced a day later.

Considering the huge amount of money riding on the tournament, largely from sponsorship and broadcasting deals, Sourav Ganguly said the board will start working out the things to resume the season; otherwise, they would have to cop a blow of INR 2500 crore – it could be more, too.

“Lot of things are involved and we will slowly start working on them. If we fail to complete the IPL, the loss will be close to INR 2500 crore (USD 340 million approx). That is going by early estimates,” Sourav Ganguly was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.

We have to see if a window can be made available before the T20 World Cup: Sourav Ganguly

The former India captain has also hinted at the September-October window, sandwiched between India’s tour to England and the T20 World Cup, to complete the remainder of the season.

The fifth Test in Manchester is scheduled to end on September 14 and the T20 World Cup – which could be either in India or the UAE – is expected to commence mid-October.

Hence, there is about a month’s window for the board; however, with the logistical challenges, quarantine, and not least the heavy workload which the Indian players will face due to a long tour of England, it seems a daunting task for the BCCI to conduct the IPL 2021 in that space.

“There has got to be a lot of shuffling. Only a day has passed since we suspended the IPL. We have to speak to other boards and see if a window can be made available before the T20 World Cup,” the 48-year-old stated.

Also Read: English Counties Offer To Host The Remainder Of IPL 2021