Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore said on Thursday that his franchise is not supportive of tinkering with the Indian Premier League format to make space for it in the coronavirus-hit calendar, reported PTI.
In fact, Mysore on Thursday claimed that most franchises want the event to be held in its complete form despite earlier reports of a tournament possibly being held without overseas stars.
The thirteen edition of IPL was postponed indefinitely due to the lockdown to contain coronavirus pandemic that came into force in March. There is still no clarity on whether it will be held this year, but there seems to be a likely window in October-November due to the uncertainty surrounding the Twenty20 World Cup.
“One thing that I feel strongly about and we feel strongly about is that we should not tinker with the quality of the product that we have,” Mysore told reporters in a virtual news conference, according to PTI.
“The quality of the product is what has made it really, really special. I think it is safe to say that the collective view is that we have to have the tournament in its full format, the same number of games, with all the players part of it,” he said on the sidelines of an event in Kolkata to cater to Covid-19 and Cyclone Amphan relief work.
There were suggestions that the IPL could be conducted without overseas players, keeping in mind the restrictions on travel imposed by various countries besides reducing the number of games to fit it into a shorter window. The Indians-only idea was mooted by Delhi Capitals franchise CEO Dhiraj Malhotra back in May when told The Quint in a video interview that his franchise and Rajasthan Royals are alright with that option.
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The issue was reportedly discussed at a meeting between the BCCI and the franchises in March, where most of the owners asserted that they would prefer to have the overseas players.
“I think the majority of the franchises (agree); I know there are one or two who have answered it slightly differently, but when I talk to them offline, they say that they were misquoted,” Mysore said.
“I would hope that whichever window, we end up staging the IPL that we’ll be in a position to achieve that,” he added.
“I think it is without doubt that the IPL as a product has become the biggest spectacle, the biggest product which has caught the imagination not only of India as a country but the world at large.”
Mysore said foreign players have played a crucial role in the league’s success.
“It is primarily our Indian players who are the backbone of any team. But I think we should recognise that when you look at even our own team, a Sunil Narine, an Andre Russell, an Eoin Morgan and now Pat Cummins come as a combination to our excellent lineup that we have on the Indian side, makes it really special,” he said.
On Thursday, Sourav Ganguly said the governing body was exploring possibilities to make sure IPL 2020 happens in the calendar year. “The BCCI is working on all possible options to ensure that we’re able to stage the IPL this year, even if it means playing in empty stadiums,” said former India captain Ganguly, according to ANI.
(With PTI inputs)
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