IPL 2021: Absence of overseas players not going to stop us from completing remaining matches – Rajeev Shukla

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla is already in UAE and has said that the unavailability of foreign stars will not stop the board from hosting the remaining 31 matches of the suspended IPL 2021 season.

BCCI had recently announced that the UAE will host the rest of IPL 2021, which got suspended on May 4 due to Covid-19 crisis in India. Shukla informed that other BCCI officials including president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah will also arrive in the UAE soon.

“I am already here. Now a team of BCCI office-bearers, president (Sourav Ganguly), secretary (Jay Shah) and the IPL chairman (Brijesh Patel) will be coming here in a couple of days,” Shukla told Khaleej Times.

“We will be having discussions with the cricket board here and the other authorities. And accordingly the schedule will be made, so the tournament happens in a very smooth manner as it happened here last year.

“We have discussed that (foreign players) issue also. Our main focus is on completing this edition of the IPL. It should not be left halfway through. So, whichever foreign players are available is fine. Whoever is not available, it is not going to stop us from hosting the tournament.

“The Indian players are there, foreign players are there, but few foreign players will not be available. As I said, we have to complete our tournament.

“So the franchises will definitely look for other players. Whoever is available, we are going to have the tournament with them. That’s our policy,” he added.

Further, Rajeev Shukla added that BCCI was in talks with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the UAE government over the entry of fans in the stadiums. Shukla asserted that BCCI was ready to strictly follow the instructions and had no problems with closed door matches either. He explained why England was not considered as an option to shift the remaining portion of the 14th edition.

“The only issue is about the spectators, whether they will allow the spectators or not. So we will talk to them about that. We will go by whatever UAE authorities decide,” Shukla said.

“If they say it’s with spectators, and certain percentage of spectators, we are fine. Or if they say without spectators, that is also fine with us. There is no problem.”

“They are all very happy. From day one, they have been backing the UAE. There were some media reports about England (hosting the remaining matches), but there’s a weather problem in England where it rains a lot,” he said.

“Also, we have got about 20 days to complete the tournament. Even if we start on September 19, by the 10th of October we have to finish it. Then there’s a T20 World Cup (October-November) also. So keeping the weather in mind and the top-class facilities, the UAE was the best option.”

India will host the T20 World Cup if Covid-19 situation improved by July

BCCI is following the wait-and-watch policy before taking a decision of the T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India from October this year. The baord is very likely to seek time from ICC during the board meeting. Rajeev Shukla has confirmed that India will be the first choice and the event will be shifted to the UAE only if Covid situation doesn’t not improve in the country by July first week.

“That issue also has been deliberated. Our first choice is India. So we will be seeking some time from the ICC, a month or so, to decide about it,” said Shukla.

“If towards the end of June or maybe, the first week of July, the situation is not good there (India), then obviously it (T20 World Cup) will come to the UAE.

“If the situation improves (in India) and we are able to host it, then we will be hosting there (in India),” he said.