Cricket’s Richest Tournament The Indian Premier League Set To Be Canceled

On March 8 more than 86,000 attended the women’s cricket World Cup final between Australia and India in Melbourne. It was a momentous occasion that almost broke the world attendance record for a women’s sporting event.

The noise deafened throughout the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and continued after Australia’s comprehensive triumph punctuated by a performance from global popstar Katy Perry, who was memorably joined on stage by giddy victorious Australian players.

Those raucous, heart-warming scenes were just over three weeks ago. The world has changed dramatically since with the coronavirus crisis declared a pandemic shortly after that final. The coronavirus outbreak has created upheaval in everyday life with sports – usually such a welcome distraction from the real world – almost totally shut down, including cricket.

If the women’s cricket World Cup final was held a mere few days later then it probably would have been contested in front of empty stands. Australia’s cricket season was mainly unaffected apart from the backend in a major sigh of relief for officials in stark contrast to the country’s high-profile football leagues, which are headed for financial turmoil.

Other cricket nations aren’t so lucky. The Indian Premier League (IPL) – the richest and most popular T20 franchise league in the world – is set to be canceled, according to reports from Indian media.

India, which has more than 1200 cases of the virus and 32 deaths, is currently on a 21-day lockdown. After receiving advice from the Indian government, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended the start of the tournament, which was originally set to be played from March 29-May 24.

The rescheduled 13^th edition of the tournament was due to start on April 15 and run through to June 4, according to reports. The tougher measures by the Indian government, however, makes that almost impossible meaning a cancellation of cricket’s most lucrative franchise league is inevitable.

“IPL will not happen this year. It will now happen next year. We all know how the situation is at the moment in the country and no one will take any risk,” a BCCI source told the Indian Express.

“One can’t have social distancing in the stadium. It’s better to play IPL next year. Also, no mega auction will take place. We will inform the franchises once we get final confirmation from the Indian government, the same season can continue next season,” the source added.

The IPL is highly important for cricket’s most powerful governing body – it’s a money spinner and attracts most of the top players worldwide. Cricket’s calendar is generally pretty bare during these months and a period annually when the Indian cricket team does not play to ensure their players are available – in contrast to Australia’s Big Bash League where the country’s best players are usually on national commitments.

A cancellation will undoubtedly be a huge financial hit for cricket’s glitziest tournament, which Star India in 2017 bought the broadcast rights for in a dizzying $2.55 billion deal.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has told Indian media that “nothing has been decided yet” but the clock is ticking and the coronavirus crisis does not appear to be easing.

IPL officials won’t pay players should the tournament be cancelled in a major financial blow for participants lured by hefty pay packets.

Players have all but given up on the prospect of the IPL going ahead. “It’s obviously not looking likely at the moment,” Steve Smith, the Australian star set to lose a US $1.5 million deal, told Channel Nine in Australia. “I’m just trying to stay physically and mentally fit and fresh and, if it goes ahead at some point, then great.

“And, if not, there’s plenty going on in the world at the moment. So just play it day by day.”

The writing is on the wall but a desperate BCCI is unsurprisingly devising contingency plans. It is contemplating rescheduling the IPL to August-September before the T20 World Cup in Australia.

A truncated tournament featuring only India’s players has been discussed, according to Indian media, but the cricket calendar – highlighted by the Asian Cup – is congested at that time complicating matters.  

No one knows where the coronavirus pandemic is headed, but rest assured Indian cricket officials are scrambling to salvage their pot of gold.