IPL 2020: Are franchises preparing for a call-off?
The franchises are leaving no stone unturned in bringing the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League to life. However, they are prepared for the eventuality of the league being called-off. Notably, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the BCCI already postponed India's cash-rich league earlier this month. One of the officials recently revealed that the owners will have a conference call on Monday.
IPL could get called-off as per the official
"We are having a conference call today in the evening and we will discuss the situation, but just look around. Schools, colleges, malls, theatres have all been closed. It is obvious that the league may get called-off for a season," the official told IANS.
It was decided that venues will have empty stands
Initially, it was announced that overseas players will only be available after April 15 as the Indian government had cancelled all visas, except for a few official categories. India's Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju said that fans are likely not to be allowed at the ground. It was also proposed that the IPL could be played behind closed doors.
The franchises will lose least Rs. 15 crore
Another official opened up about the basic loss the franchise owners will incur if this year's edition gets abandoned. "See, we will be having basic loss of around Rs. 15-20 crore which comes with paying salaries and other things associated with the successful organization of the league," he said. He added, "But there are other loses as well like those coming from merchandise sales."
Suspension of IPL will put 600 jobs at stake
According to an official, all eight franchises hire around 600 people for the tournament, which includes a number of freelancers on payroll. The jobs will be impacted adversely sans any revenue chipping in. The approximate figure is nearly Rs. 10 crore.
BCCI could incur a huge loss
The BCCI will likely suffer a revenue loss of Rs. 2,000 crore if the tournament gets cancelled. The board fetches Rs. 3,000 crore as broadcast revenue every year, which is shared equally among the franchises. Furthermore, the title sponsor VIVO gives the cricket board Rs. 500 crore per season. The loss from gate receipts will hover between Rs. 20 and Rs. 45 crore.
The availability of foreign players is still under doubt
One of the officials also asserted that there is is still a question mark over the availability of foreign players. "Even as we keep talking about getting foreign players their visas, what also needs to be checked is whether the foreign boards will allow their players to come in if and when the government makes an exception for the players," he stated.
