The rising Covid-19 cases in India could pour cold water on the country’s hopes of hosting the T20 World Cup this year. While questions have been raised over the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s decision to continue organising the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 amid an unprecedented rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, doubts over the T20 World Cup happening this year in India have also started to emerge.
The United Arab Emirates has been put on standby as the venue for this year’s T20 World Cup in a scenario where the covid-19 situation in India makes organising the tournament in the country difficult. Although the showpiece event is about 6 months away, the International Cricket Council is preparing itself for all possible scenarios.
The T20 World Cup was supposed to happen last year in Australia but was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide. The second wave of the virus, however, is causing utter chaos in India, with the country reporting over 3,50,000 cases on a daily basis.
UAE has a considerably less population when compared to India which makes organising a tournament of the magnitude of the T20 World Cup amid Covid fairly convenient. The BCCI has good rapport with the Emirates Cricket Board, having also held the 2020 edition of IPL in UAE across three venues.
The board decided to organise the 2021 edition of the IPL in India after the Covid surge had calmed down to a large extent. However, just days before the tournament began, the country was struck by the second wave of the virus, the result of which has so far been devastating.
India had proposed 9 venues for the T20 World Cup this year. An ICC delegation is also currently in the country for the same. The BCCI intends to hold the final of the T20 World Cup at the Motera Stadium, world’s largest cricket stadium, where a few international and IPL matches have already been held.
