The BCCI was set to lose over 4000 crore rupees by not conducting the 2020 IPL due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, things fell into place for the BCCI as the ICC and Cricket Australia decided to cancel the T20 World Cup which was set to take place in October in Australia.
The cancellation of the T20 World Cup gave the BCCI a perfect window to host the IPL. The BCCI had not the Emirates Cricket Board, Cricket South Africa and the Sri Lanka Cricket Board interested in hosting the 2020 IPL. In the end, the BCCI worked things out with the Emirates Cricket Board and hosted a successful IPL 2020 in the UAE.
BCCI Brings In 4000 Crore Rupees
The BCCI faced a lot of hurdles in the lead up to IPL 2020. The chief sponsor for the IPL, VIVO pulled out last minute as the Chinese sponsor did not want to back the IPL due to the political tensions between India and China. The BCCI was also concerned about the safety of its players after members of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise tested positive in the UAE before the IPL could start.
However, Jay Shah who is the secretary of the BCCI was very keen on moving forward with the IPL and in retrospect things worked out well. The BCCI confirmed that this was the most successful IPL in terms of viewership as numbers went up by 25 percent. This comes as no surprise given the fact that Indian fans did not have any cricket matches to watch due to the lockdown.
The first game of IPL 2020 between the Mumbai Indians and CSK recorded the highest opening game numbers in the history of the IPL. Arun Dhumal, who is the Treasurer of the BCCI said that the 2020 IPL also brought in impressive numbers. The IPL generated over 4000 crore rupees which is impressive given the circumstances and constraints surrounding the IPL.
IPL 2020 Could Take Place In UAE Again
What is even more impressive is the fact that the BCCI managed to cut down costs by 25 percent this season. The BCCI is now making plans for the mega IPL auction which will take place in early 2021. It is quite possible that the BCCI will once again host the 2021 IPL in the UAE during April and May 2021, if things don’t settle down in India with regards to the COVID-19 situation.
The BCCI managed to work out the bio-bubble situation in the UAE and was impressed with the results. Stats show that the BCCI carried out over 30,000 COVID-19 tests during the IPL tenure and Jay Shah could managed to convince the authorities in Abu Dhabi to reduce the quarantine period.
Amit Shah and N Srinivasan Control The BCCI
Ramchandra Guha, ex-member of the Committee of Administrators (COA) has made some startling revelations against the BCCI in his new book ‘The Commonwealth of Cricket: A Lifelong Love Affair with the Most Subtle and Sophisticated Game Known to Humankind’.
Guha alleges that the BCCI is controlled by Jay Shah’s father Amit Shah who is the Minister of Home Affairs in India and former BCCI President N Srinivasan. Guha stepped down from the COA in 2017 due to personal reasons. He said there was a lot of nepotism in the BCCI and indirectly accused officials of corruption as there was multiple breaches with regards to conflict of interest.
He said nothing was done about these breaches because the conflict of interest involved senior BCCI officials including current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. It a known fact that Amit Shah played a key role in getting Sourav Ganguly the post as BCCI President and his son on board as BCCI secretary.
