Will IPL 2022 take place in India? Here’s what BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla has to say

IPL 2022

While the IPL 2021 was initially scheduled to be held in India behind closed doors, the league had to be postponed halfway through due to a rising number of cases within the bio-bubbles amidst the deadly second wave of the virus in the country. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Tuesday said that BCCI will try to ensure that the Indian Premier League (IPL) happens in India.

“We will try to ensure that the Indian Premier League happens and in India. But we will see into this matter again in March that how is COVID situation then,” Shukla told ANI.

“There will be a contingency plan in place if the COVID situation worsens,” he added.

Meanwhile, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed that the IPL 2022 auction would be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

“Yes, the auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13,” Patel asserted.

Also, IPL two new teams — Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group for the Lucknow franchise and CVC Capital’s Ahmedabad team on Tuesday received formal clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The formal clearance was given after a meeting of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council on Tuesday and both Ahmedabad and Lucknow have also been given a time frame for player signing before the mega auction takes place.

“There were two important decisions made by IPL governing body today. First, the Ahmedabad franchise whose bid was won by CVC was awarded. After being the highest bidder, there were questions raised that they have some shares in the betting company outside of India. BCCI then took all precautions immediately and they formed a committee whose head was a retired judge of Supreme Court and after looking at all the things the committee decided that their betting was correct and they should receive (the formal clearance),” Shukla said.

The two new IPL franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad have a budget of Rs 33 crore to pick three players who go back into the pool before the mega auction begins.

For the two new franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — they cannot pick more than two Indian players (capped/uncapped). They cannot pick more than one overseas player and more than one Indian uncapped player. Apart from RPSG who won the bid for the Lucknow franchise, the Irelia Company Pte Ltd (CVC Capital Partners) won the bid for the Ahmedabad franchise (for INR 5,625 crores).