Tag: BCCI

  • BCCI irked over ICC’s ‘poor’ rating for Indore pitch

    BCCI irked over ICC’s ‘poor’ rating for Indore pitch

    A two-member ICC panel will now conduct a review before announcing their verdict within 14 days…reports Asian Lite News

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has filed a formal appeal with International Cricket Council (ICC) over the ‘poor’ rating given to the pitch of the Indore Test by match referee Chris Broad.

    According to an ESPNcricinfo report, a two-member ICC panel will now conduct a review before announcing their verdict within 14 days.

    The Test, the third of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between India and Australia and part of the World Test Championship (WTC) finished well within the first session on the third day after 30 wickets fell in the first two days at the Holkar Stadium.

    Twenty-six of the 31 wickets in the Test went to spinners as Australia completed a nine-wicket win to claw back in the series after losing the first two Tests.

    After the end of the game, match referee Broad in his report had said that the “pitch was very dry and did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start”. He further stated that there was “excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match”.

    Broad’s rating meant the venue has now accrued three demerit points and this will remain active for a five-year rolling period.

    The serious part of the Match Referee’s verdict is the impending danger of suspension to the ground. As per the rules, “When a venue accumulates five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will be suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.”

    Earlier, Andy Pycroft, the match referee for the first two Tests, had rated the surfaces used in Nagpur and Delhi as “average”. Those Tests also finished inside three days, India winning both.

    Notaly, match referees have six distinct markings for surfaces: very good, good, average, below average, poor and unfit. Only those rated below average, poor or unfit attract demerit points.

    An ICC reconsideration or a review is not unprecedented. Recently, the world body had rescinded its decision on the Rawalpindi pitch which was initially declared ‘Below Average’ and allotted one demerit point. But on an appeal by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the ICC went back on its rating and withdrew the punitive measure to the stadium that hosted a WTC Test between Pakistan and England from December 1 to 5.

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  • Bumrah set to miss IPL, WTC final

    Bumrah set to miss IPL, WTC final

    The medical staff of the BCCI is treating Bumrah’s case urgently and suggested him to undergo surgery..reports Asian Lite News

    Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 after being given the option of undergoing back surgery, reported ESPNCricinfo on Tuesday.

    He could also possibly miss the ICC World Test Championship (if India qualifies for it), which will be played from June 7 onwards at The Oval. He is yet to recover from the back injury that ruled him out of the ICC T20 World Cup last year. The medical staff of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru is treating Bumrah’s case urgently and suggested him to undergo surgery after facing recurring niggles in his lower back which surfaced originally in form of stress reaction last August.

    A final decision on the next step is expected to be taken soon by BCCI in coordination with the NCA and Bumrah, keeping in mind the ICC Cricket World Cup, which is set to take place in India from October-November this year.

    It has been a frustrating wait for Bumrah, who has attempted to make a comeback more than once since suffering a back injury in August which ruled him out of the Asia Cup. Initially, the injury did not seem serious as he was named in India’s T20 World Cup squad in September and even played the last two T20Is against Australia on September 23 and 25.

    Three days later, Bumrah did not play the first T20I against South Africa and it was learnt that he was taken for scans, which revealed a stress-related injury in his back. He was rushed to NCA and the scans there confirmed that the injury was serious. It ruled him out of the T20 World Cup, in which India achieved a semifinal finish.

    Bumrah resumed his rehab in November and started to bowl in mid-December. His progress seemed to be positive as he was added in the white-ball series played in January more than a week after the original squad was picked up.

    Bumrah had performed the match simulation exercises in the NCA, but discomfort resurfaced while taking up higher workloads during fitness drills in January. Scans revealed the development of a fresh niggle, which ruled him out of the Sri Lanka series and Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

    Indian team management and skipper Rohit Sharma want Bumrah to return back to the side only after gaining full fitness, with Rohit warning against rushing the pacer back into the team. (ANI)

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  • Cricket fraternity hail BCCI’s decision

    Cricket fraternity hail BCCI’s decision

    Mithali called in a historic decision for women’s cricket in India…reports Asian Lite News

    The Indian cricket fraternity on Thursday raised in one voice to hail the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) for announcing that women internationals will now get the same match fee as their male counterparts.

    As per the announcement, India’s women cricketers to be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts, both female and male cricketers will earn Rs 15 lakh as Test match fee while playing in an ODI and T20I will fetch them match fees of Rs 6 lakh and 3 lakh respectively.

    India’s women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur called it a red-letter day for cricket in the country and thanked BCCI and its Secretary Jay Shah for the decision.

    Truly a red-letter day for Women’s Cricket in India with pay parity announced for women and men. Thank you @BCCI and @JayShah,” Harmanpreet said in a tweet soon after BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced over Twitter.

    Legendary women cricketers Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami too hailed BCCI for this decision.

    Mithali called in a historic decision for women’s cricket in India.

    “This is a historic decision for women’s cricket in India! The pay equity policy along with the WIPL next year, we are ushering into a new era for women’s cricket in India. Thank you @JayShah Sir & the @BCCI for making this happen. Really happy today,” Mithali Raj said in her tweet.

    Jhulan termed it a great initiative that will motivate young girls to take up cricket.

    “Great initiative from @BCCI and @JayShah sir for the upliftment of women’s cricket. This will motivate young girls in taking cricket as a career. It’s also an imp. step in creating gender equality in the society & hopefully, other sports will follow in BCCI’s footsteps. @BCCIWomen,” Jhulan wrote in her tweet.

    “What amazing news for Women’s cricket in India,” wrote India opener Smriti Mandhana in her tweet.

    Former woman international and commentator Anjum Chopra described it as massive news.

    Massive news this! well done @BCCI, @JayShah,” she said.

    Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar led the Indian male cricketers too praised BCCI for its decision to introduce pay parity for men and women internationals.

    Said Sachin Tendulkar in his tweet, “Cricket has been an equalizer in many ways. This is a welcome step towards gender equality in the game and erasing discrimination from the sport. Very happy with the decision taken by @BCCI and brilliant to see India paving the way forward. @JayShah.”

    Tendulkar’s former teammate and NCA chief VVS Laxman described it as a “praise-worthy decision”.

    “Kudos to @BCCI and @JayShah. Pay equity for all contracted Men and Women cricketers is a praiseworthy decision and a significant step forward. I am sure our @BCCIWomen cricketers will be encouraged by this move,” said Laxman in a tweet on Thursday.

    World Cup winner and Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir called it a move to empower players.

    “When you empower players, you bring out the very best in them! Pay equity is a splendid initiative. Kudos @JayShah!! @BCCI,” wrote Gambhir in his tweet.

    Other former cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Amit Mishra also lauded BCCI for this decision.

    ALSO READ-BCCI announces equal pay for men and women cricket team

  • BCCI announces equal pay for men and women cricket team

    BCCI announces equal pay for men and women cricket team

    It is the first time that Indian men’s and women’s professional game has been combined under one master agreement…reports Asian Lite News

    In a landmark moment to tackle gender ‘discrimination’ in cricket, Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), announced on Thursday that the country’s female cricketers will now earn the same amount of match fees as their male counterparts.

    While saying that Indian cricket is moving towards a new era of gender equality, Shah also announced that the BCCI will also be implementing a pay equity policy for the contracted India women’s cricket team players.

    “I’m pleased to announce @BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing a pay equity policy for our contracted @BCCIWomen cricketers. The match fee for both Men and Women Cricketers will be the same as we move into a new era of gender equality in Indian Cricket,” said Shah through his official Twitter handle.

    “In our Apex Council meeting today, we have made a marquee decision on pay equity for our women cricketers. Our women players will be paid the same match fees as men in international cricket. This decision sets the platform to grow and develop cricket. I believe this is a significant step forward for women’s cricket and the game overall,” said Roger Binny, BCCI President, in an official statement.

    As per the announcement, India’s women cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts, both female and male cricketers will earn INR 15 lakh as Test match fee while playing in an ODI and T20I will fetch them match fees of INR 6 lakh and 3 lakh respectively.

    It is the first time that Indian men’s and women’s professional game has been combined under one master agreement.

    “It was my commitment to our women cricketers and pay equity is an important step towards tackling discrimination. The female cricketers will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts.”

    “This is a landmark decision as we enter a new era in India Cricket. I would like to thank my colleagues in the BCCI Apex Council,” added Shah.

    In July this year, New Zealand had announced in a five-year agreement that their women’s and men’s cricketers will earn the same match fees across all formats at the international as well as domestic level.

    “This is a revolutionary step for the women’s game and I believe this move will serve as a motivation for the present and future stars of women’s cricket. A lot was spoken about the way forward for the women’s game and I believe pay equity is a step towards that direction. It is an important move, a hallmark one at that and I am sure this will hold the game in good stead going forward,” said Rajeev Shukla, vice president, BCCI.

    Of course, the same match fee does not mean real pay parity in Indian cricket as there is currently a huge disparity in the central contract fee that the men and women are offered. But match fees parity is a step in the right direction for more much equalities in the future.

    “To support the players of the present and tomorrow, this move will prove to be a game-changer. Women’s cricket is on the rise and the decision of pay equity for our women’s cricketers is another giant step in BCCI’s continuous endeavour to bolster the game. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members in the BCCI Apex Council who supported the decision,” said Ashish Shelar, Treasurer, BCCI.

    As of now, the centrally-contracted male players get INR 7 crore, INR 6 crore, INR 3 crore and INR 1 crore in four categories (A+, A, B, C) while the women players get INR 50 lakh, INR 30 lakh and INR 10 lakh each in three grades (A, B, C). The BCCI is yet to announce the latest set of contracts for the upcoming season for both men’s and women’s players.

    “The Indian women’s cricket team has continuously made the country proud with their superb performances across the globe and pay equity is a significant move to appreciate the hard yards the team has been putting in to yield magnificent results.”

    “I am delighted that the BCCI Apex Council has taken this historic decision as women’s cricket in India continues to rise. This landmark decision will certainly help in removing gender disparity and encourage more girls to take cricket as a profession,” concluded Devajit Saikia, Joint Secretary, BCCI.

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  •  BCCI awarded Rs 4cr in cash to Tokyo Olympic medallists

     BCCI awarded Rs 4cr in cash to Tokyo Olympic medallists

    Javelin thrower Chopra was awarded Rs 1 crore while the hockey team was given Rs 1.25 crore in total. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain was awarded Rs 25 lakh…reports Asian Lite News

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) spent Rs 4 crore in giving cash awards to India’s Tokyo Olympics medallists earlier this year, a report said.

    During its recent Apex Council meeting, the Indian cricket board revealed its expenditure on other stuff besides cricket to its members. As per the BCCI document, the board donated Rs 10 crore to the Indian Olympic Association to support the country’s athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games, a Times of India report said.

    Earlier, late in March, the Indian cricket board felicitated Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and members of the bronze-medal-winning Indian men’s hockey team before the IPL’s opening match.

    Javelin thrower Chopra was awarded Rs 1 crore while the hockey team was given Rs 1.25 crore in total. Boxer Lovlina Borgohain was awarded Rs 25 lakh. Apart from them, Rs 50 lakh each was also awarded to the two silver medallists — weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and wrestler Ravi Dahiya. In line with Borgohain, the other bronze medallists — shuttler PV Sindhu and wrestler Bajrang Punia — were given Rs 25 lakh each.

    The BCCI spent Rs 5 crore on PM Care Mementos for Olympics participants. Close to ? 9.5 crore were also spent on ‘Support to Indian Contingent for Tokyo Olympics’ and its sub-categories.

    The report further said that BCCI also donated Rs 3.8 cr to buy Oxygen Concentrators during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. Notably, on May 24, 2021, the BCCI had announced that it would contribute 2000 Oxygen concentrators (10-Litre capacity) to boost India’s efforts in overcoming the deadly virus.

    “The nation has been hit by an unprecedented second wave of the coronavirus with demands for medical equipment and life-saving oxygen witnessing a major spike. Over the next few months, the Board will distribute the concentrators across India with the hope that critical medical aid and care will be provided to the needy patients and this initiative will reduce the havoc unleashed by the pandemic,” the BCCI had said in a statement at that time.

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  • BCCI plans to launch six-team women’s IPL

    BCCI plans to launch six-team women’s IPL

    New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, who played twice for Supernovas in the first two editions of the Women’s T20 Challenge in India, believes that the introduction of full-scale women’s IPL will take women’s cricket to a whole new level altogether…reports Asian Lite News

    On the day when the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is going to commence in Mumbai, reports of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deciding to launch a six-team women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) for next year have delighted cricket enthusiasts.

    It has also left players in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup excited about India finally taking the plunge for a full-fledged T20 league in women’s cricket.

    No one knows when the decision for women’s IPL taken in the governing council meeting on Friday will be approved by the AGM. For now, players are excited and optimistic about the T20 league in women’s cricket seeing the light of day.

    India opener Shafali Verma, who came into the limelight with a scintillating 31-ball 34 as a 15-year-old for her team Velocity in the 2019 Women’s T20 Challenge and impressed many, including England opener Danni Wyatt. Now Verma, who has made her debut across all formats for India and is in the ongoing World Cup in New Zealand, was happy with the prospect of women’s IPL.

    “It has been said that women’s IPL next year will have six teams, which is a very good thing. All our women players, including the domestic cricketers, will get to learn a lot, which is a very good thing. My favourite IPL team is Mumbai Indians. I enjoy and love watching them play; you get to learn a lot,” said Verma ahead of India’s virtual knockout match against South Africa in Christchurch.

    Shafali has been a beneficiary of participating in women’s T20 leagues around the world and developing her skillsets. Last year, she turned out for Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred competition and played for Sydney Sixers in the women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).

    South Africa all-rounder Chloe Tryon, whose experience in franchise cricket was with London Spirit in The Hundred last year, has called for leagues across the world to happen for women’s cricket. “It’s fantastic for women’s cricket. If you’ve looked at how successful the big bash has been and The Hundred just coming back into it. We want things like this to happen. You want leagues around the world. We want to showcase our skill and it’s fantastic to see that there are six teams now.”

    “I think a lot of people, not just me are really eager to want to play there. We know how it is to play in India and how the crowds are; it’s really good. I’m really excited to see how that goes. I’ll hopefully want to play; we’ll just see how that goes. But it’s really exciting for women’s cricket as you can see this World Cup is getting a lot of attention and I’m just thankful that they are looking at it and putting women’s cricket on the platform. So, it’s really exciting.”

    New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, who played twice for Supernovas in the first two editions of the Women’s T20 Challenge in India, believes that the introduction of full-scale women’s IPL will take women’s cricket to a whole new level altogether.

    “It’s a really exciting prospect. We’ve seen it with the WBBL even, the KSL (Kia Super League) and the Hundred over in England, what it’s done for women’s cricket has been outstanding and we’ve all said that soon as there’s a woman”s IPL, cricket around the world absolutely going to take off and I’m really excited to hear that.”

    “It’s been a long time coming and fingers crossed I can be involved in such a tournament. I just think it’s fantastic. The more opportunities that female cricketers can get to play around the world the better because I think you’re starting to see how the standard of the game is improving around the world,” said Devine after New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 71 runs.

    Several stakeholders in women’s cricket, including premier cricketers like Ellyse Perry and cricketer-turned-broadcaster Lisa Sthalekar, had been demanding for women’s IPL to happen as India reached the final of the 2017 ODI World Cup and 2020 T20 World Cup.

    When the first ball of the full-fledged women
    s IPL will be bowled, many of them will get a chance to be delighted by the spectacle and potential offered by women cricketers participating in the league.

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  • BCCI thanks India’s most successful Test captain

    BCCI thanks India’s most successful Test captain

    The 33-year-old Kohli, who took over as full-time Test captain in early 2015 when MS Dhoni had announced retirement in Australia, steps down as India’s most successful captain in the format, with 40 wins in 68 Tests, reports Asian Lite News

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday thanked Virat Kohli for his admirable leadership qualities after the star batter stepped down as the Test skipper of India with immediate effect.

    The 33-year-old Kohli, who took over as full-time Test captain in early 2015 when MS Dhoni had announced retirement in Australia, steps down as India’s most successful captain in the format, with 40 wins in 68 Tests.

    He helped the side to a historic Test series win in Australia, and took them to the top of the ICC Test rankings. Under him, India also reached the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship.

    The BCCI took to Twitter to thank Kohli for his contribution.

    “BCCI congratulates #TeamIndia captain @imVkohli for his admirable leadership qualities that took the Test team to unprecedented heights. He led India in 68 matches and has been the most successful captain with 40 wins,” said BCCI in a tweet.

    BCCI secretary Jay Shah also congratulated Kohli on a tremendous tenure as Team India captain.

    “Congratulations to @imVkohli on a tremendous tenure as #TeamIndia captain. Virat turned the team into a ruthless fit unit that performed admirably both in India and away. The Test wins in Australia & England have been special,” Shah tweeted.

    BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal also termed Virat as a phenomenal leader.

    Congrats @imVkohli for a great tenure as captain. You have been a phenomenal leader and beyond doubt the most successful Indian captain be it home or overseas.I wish you great success in future and I’m sure you’ll keep contributing with your top class batting for team India @bcci .

    Kohli had earlier given up T20I captaincy after the 2021 T20 World Cup, and was succeeded as skipper in ODIs by Rohit Sharma.

  • Virat Kohli quits as India Test captain

    Virat Kohli quits as India Test captain

    Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy as the most successful skipper in the longest format of the game for India and fourth overall, reports Asian Lite News

    A day after India lost the series 1-2 to South Africa with a seven-wicket defeat at Cape Town, Virat Kohli has stepped down as the Test captain.

    Kohli, who first captained India at the Adelaide Test in 2014 against Australia, was appointed to the full-time role after MS Dhoni announced his retirement from the format ahead of the fourth Test at Sydney in January 2015. It also means that the Cape Town Test was the last match of Kohli as India captain.

    “It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief,” said Kohli in his statement posted on his social media accounts on Saturday.

    Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy as the most successful skipper in the longest format of the game for India and fourth overall. Under his time as the captain, India played 68 Tests, winning 40, losing 17 and drawing 11 matches, having a win percentage of 58.82 while registering memorable wins in overseas and home conditions.

    “I have always believed in giving my 120 percent in everything I do, and if I can’t do that, I know it’s not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team. I want to thank the BCCI for giving me the opportunity to lead my country for such a long period of time and more importantly to all the teammates who bought into the vision I had for the team from day one and never gave up in any situation. You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful,” added Kohli.

    The most notable victories from the time under Kohli will be the 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win, where India won a Test series in Australia for the first time and leading 2-1 in England in the 2021 series apart from reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Southampton in the same year. He also took the Indian team to the number one ranking in Tests apart from overseeing the development of the pace-attack reaching a world-class level and fitness being given prime importance.

    “To Ravi Bhai and the support group who were the engine behind this vehicle that moved us upwards in Test Cricket consistently, you all have played a massive role in bringing this vision to life. Lastly, a big thank you to MS Dhoni who believed in me as a Captain and found me to be an able individual who could take Indian Cricket forward,” concluded the 33-year-old Kohli.

    In September 2021, Kohli had announced that he would be leaving the T20I captaincy after the Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. He had also stepped down as the captain of IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after the completion of the second half of the tournament in the UAE. Two months later, in December, Kohli was replaced by Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain.

    It will be interesting to see who becomes the next Test captain of India. The team’s next Test assignment will be against Sri Lanka in a two-match series at home in February-March.

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  • COVID-19: BCCI postpones domestic tourneys

    COVID-19: BCCI postpones domestic tourneys

    The Ranji Trophy was not held last season due to COVID-19 but was set to commence this month….reports Asian Lite News

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday postponed the upcoming Ranji Trophy, Col CK Nayudu Trophy, and senior women’s T20 League for the 2021-22 season in the wake of the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

    The Ranji Trophy was not held last season due to COVID-19 but was set to commence this month. The tournament was scheduled to be held in six cities — Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Trivandrum.

    Meanwhile, the CK Nayudu Trophy was scheduled to begin this month whereas the Women’s league was scheduled to start in February.

    Notably, the Indian cricket board had successfully conducted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy already this season before the recent spike in cases.

    The BCCI said that it took the decision keeping in mind the safety of the players, support staff, match officials, and other participants involved.

    “BCCI does not want to compromise the safety of the players, support staff, match officials, and other participants involved and hence, has decided to put the three tournaments on hold till further notice. The BCCI will continue to assess the situation and take a call on the start of the tournaments accordingly,” the board secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.

    “BCCI thanks and continues to appreciate the efforts of the healthcare workers, state associations, players, support staff, match officials, and all the service providers who put their best foot forward to host more than 700 matches across 11 tournaments in the current 2021-22 domestic season,” it added.

    Last week, the BCCI had also postponed the Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, which was scheduled to begin in January 2022, following the fresh surge of COVID-19 cases and the growing threat of the Omicron variant.

    COVID-19 cases have been multiplying in India in recent weeks with several states announcing night and weekend curfews, amid other forms of restrictions. West Bengal recorded 9,073 new Covid-19 cases in the latest single-day spike on Tuesday, Maharashtra 18,466, and Delhi 5,481.

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  • T20 World Cup shifted to UAE: Ganguly

    T20 World Cup shifted to UAE: Ganguly

    The mega-event is to be held in October-November….reports Asian Lite News

    Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly on Monday announced that the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in India has been shifted to the UAE owing to the health safety concerns posed by COVID-19.

    “We have officially intimated the ICC that the T20 World Cup can be shifted to the United Arab Emirates. The details are being chalked out,” Ganguly was quoted as saying in reports.

    The mega-event is to be held in October-November.

    Meanwhile, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla said the decision to move the T20 World Cup to the UAE was taken as nobody can predict what will happen regarding the COVID-19 situation.

    “As far as T20 World Cup is concerned, today was the deadline as we had to inform the ICC about our decision so today there was a conference call between BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, Secretary Jay Shah, Treasurer Arun Dhumal, me and the Joint Secretary. We looked at the COVID-19 situation and nobody is sure what is going to happen after two-three months, looking at everything, it has been decided that Secretary Jay Shah and President Ganguly will inform the ICC to move the tournament to the UAE,” Shukla told ANI.

    T20 World Cup

    “UAE is an ideal venue after India. We all wanted to host it in India, but you know it is an international tournament and that too of big size, so it was very hard to predict what is going to happen with the COVID situation, after due consideration, now the BCCI has decided to move the T20 World Cup to the UAE,” he added.

    When asked when the tournament will begin, Shukla said: “The dates are going to be the same, immediately after the IPL, the tournament will start. The format for the World Cup has already been decided by the ICC, qualifiers may take place in Oman and Muscat. The rest of the matches will be in the three grounds — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.”

    Earlier, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah confirmed on Monday that the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup will be shifted to the UAE. “We will inform ICC today that we are shifting the T20 World Cup to UAE. The dates of the tournament, the ICC needs to decide,” the BCCI Secretary told ANI.

    Earlier, the ICC had clarified that BCCI would keep the hosting rights of the tournament even if it is moved out of India. Meanwhile, the Indian Premier League (IPL)’s 14th edition will also be completed in the UAE. The IPL is set to get underway on September 19 and the final is to be played on October 15. (with ANI report)

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