The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will meet the franchise owners and the representatives of the Indian Premier League (IPL) virtually on Saturday to discuss the roadmap for the forthcoming season.
Several sources in the Board and the franchises have confirmed to Sportstar that the meeting will start from 3 pm, and there could be discussions on the venue, the auction dates and other details.
As reported by this publication earlier, the Board is trying to host the tournament across two cities in India - Mumbai and Pune.
Sources aware of the development suggest that Sri Lanka and South Africa are being considered as possible back-ups if the COVID-19 situation does not improve in India.
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In the meeting, the Board will formally welcome the owners and the representatives of the two new franchises - Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
A final decision could also be taken on the venue of the IPL mega auction, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. Amid rising COVID-19 cases, a few officials feel that “it could be a wise decision” to shift the event to Mumbai, where the COVID-19 curve seems to have flattened. “Barring a couple of franchises, most have their headquarters in Mumbai, so it could be beneficial for everyone as it would reduce travel. We will deliberate on the issue and then take a collective decision,” a source in the Board said.
The IPL is likely to begin on April 2, and with the auction dates nearing, the two new teams formally announced their choice of three players late on Friday. While K.L. Rahul will lead Lucknow, the CVC-owned Ahmedabad franchise appointed Hardik Pandya as captain.
