The Indian Premier League that is due to start on September 19th is going to be a very different
year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and other events that have happened in 2020 the BCCI
has had to adapt its plans to ensure the event goes ahead.
The first major change for the event is obviously the start date which had to be moved from April
to September. This was due to the coronavirus pandemic which had started to worsen around
the world during the original start date for the IPL.
The second major difference, and the one that impacts both players and fans is the location of
the event. Due to increasing coronavirus cases in India it was decided that it was not safe to
hold the IPL there. As a work around for the 2020 season it has been decided that the UAE will
host the 2020 season of the IPL. The tournament will be held in the bio-secure venues in Dubai,
Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. In order to ensure the virus doesn’t spread the players will not be allied
to leave their bubble while the tournament is taking place.
Indian Test vice captain Rahane said: “This IPL will be a very different experience for all of us,
and we need to make sure that we are all very positive when we hit the ground running. The key
is to take one step at a time.”
He continued to say “There is no doubt that it will be a challenging trip for everyone involved.
But like everyone else, I’ve spent these last few months focusing on my physical and mental
health, and taking care of my family. So the time I’ve managed to spend with them has put me
in a positive frame of mind.”
Outside of the date and location of the event changing there has also been other notable
differences. One of the main ones being that VIVO were dethroned as the official sponsors of
the event. Due to increasing hostility on the border between India and China the BCCI has
opted to cut ties with any chinese owned brands.
There were concerns that the cancellation of the sponsorship deal so close to the start of the
tournament would have a negative impact on the financials. In a statement from , Ganguly said
“I wouldn’t call it a financial crisis, It’s just a little bit of a blip. And the only way you can do it is by
being professionally strong over a period of time. Big things don’t come overnight. And big
things don’t go away overnight. Your preparation for a long period of time gets (you) ready for
losses, gets you ready for successes.”
“You keep your other options open. It is like Plan A and Plan B. Sensible people do it. Sensible
brands do it. Sensible corporates do it. BCCI, it’s a very strong foundation – the game, the
players, the administrators in the past have made this game so strong that BCCI is able to
handle all these blips.”
Outside of all this change, one thing that will not be impacted is the ability to gamble on the IPL
online. Remember online cricket betting is one of the most popular betting options for Indian
customers. Being able to bet on your favourite team to win adds another level of enjoyment to
the game which everyone loves. When your team wins, you also win.
It will be a very strange IPL season in 2020 but everyone has to remember that these are
strange times we are in now. It is important we keep the public health as priority and if that
means that fans cannot attend the IPL then that is a sacrifice we have to make. We are lucky
enough that the IPL will continue to go ahead and we can enjoy it from the comfort of our homes
on tv and gamble online.
Where will you watch the 2020 IPL season from and who do you think will win? Leave a
comment below with your answers.