‘BCCI will definitely complete IPL, will extend it by 7 days if needed’: Sourav Ganguly amid border tension
Sourav Ganguly was bullish about the chances of IPL 2025 returning soon, citing his experiences as BCCI president during the COVID-times.
The future of IPL 2025 is currently unclear. BCCI decided to suspend the league for a week due to security threats posed by a rise in military tension between India and Pakistan that resulted in cross-border conflicts. Fans and stakeholders alike have been left scratching their heads, with no certainty regarding when or where the IPL will be played should it return in 2025.
However, Indian legend and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly remained steadfast in his belief that the IPL would resume as planned, backing the national cricket board to ensure action returns sooner rather than later.
Citing the interrupted IPL seasons in 2020-21 caused due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, during his tenure, Ganguly said in an interview with India Today: “Even where there were so many problems in 2020 and 2021, the IPL was still completed. The BCCI is so efficient that they will certainly complete the IPL.”
Ganguly also backed the likelihood of the BCCI wielding enough power to ensure that the tournament could be completed even with a week’s delay. 17 matches remain to be played in the IPL, including the interrupted PBKS vs DC match and the four playoff games.
“BCCI will definitely complete IPL. It’s a seven-day break, the tournament will be extended by seven days as well if needed,” said the former Indian captain.
‘A situation like Covid…’: Ganguly optimistic
Moreover, when asked about what goes into ensuring a tournament is carried out successfully when faced with such a stoppage, Ganguly argued that this was not a stoppage on par with the ones suffered in the Covid years. Both those seasons saw the IPL return in September-October, played to completion in the UAE.
Further, Ganguly highlighted the necessity of the BCCI working hand-in-hand with the ministerial bodies and the government, a need heightened during a time of crisis and conflict enveloping the nation.
“A situation like Covid just cannot happen again. Matches were played during Covid, and the instructions given by the Indian government, BCCI worked according to that,” said Ganguly.
The BCCI released an official statement confirming the suspension of the tournament, with players and foreign internationals set to return home for the time being. All alternatives remain on the table, with a likely approach being to host the remainder of the tournament in lieu of the Asia Cup scheduled for September this year, whose own fate hangs in the balance given the tension in South Asia.
