At the end of what was billed as the first annual conclave of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Dharamshala last week, the Board had announced its plans to stage a “Mini IPL overseas in September.”
However, a combination of logistical and technical issues may result in it being shelved this year and beginning only in 2017.
The Hindu understands that the BCCI hierarchy is trying to make the Mini IPL happen in 2016, but there are a number of hurdles which will be difficult to overcome.
The primary issue is creating a three-week window to host what could well be a 15-match miniature version of the IPL, with eight teams split in two groups playing a league stage followed by the semifinals and the final.
The BCCI on Tuesday announced the itinerary for the home series against New Zealand. The first Test is scheduled to begin in Kanpur on September 22, exactly a month after India’s tour of the West Indies ends.
Too narrow a windowThe resultant 30-day window appears to be too narrow to host both the Duleep Trophy and the Mini IPL.
The BCCI has already announced that the Duleep Trophy, to be played under floodlights with the pink ball, will feature all of the country’s top players.
If the Mini IPL is staged before September 20, it will mean that the Duleep Trophy will overlap with the West Indies series. And with the India-A team touring Australia from early August to September 4, it could render the initial phase of the Duleep Trophy utterly meaningless.
According to a BCCI insider, if it has to choose between the Duleep Trophy and the Mini IPL, “this year, it will prefer the Duleep Trophy, since we will have to test the pink ball”. Besides, the insider also admitted there were “plenty of technical issues” that could prove to be a hindrance in staging the Mini IPL this year.
The IPL player contracts specify that they are only for the 2016 edition and offshore exhibition matches, if any.
As a result, the franchises will have to renegotiate with the players if a Mini IPL has to be held.
The broadcaster’s issue will be even more complex. If the BCCI chooses to invite tenders for the Mini IPL, it could invite legal action from Sony Pictures Networks, the official IPL broadcaster.
A section of BCCI officials believes that it’s best for the BCCI to wait for another year since the IPL broadcast deal in any case comes up for renewal.
“It would be apt to ensure that all the peripheral issues are addressed rather than doing anything hurriedly,” a BCCI member told The Hindu , preferring anonymity.
“With a long season of Test cricket at home, it’s best if we prioritise the Duleep Trophy instead of racing against time in organising the Mini IPL,” he added.
