IPL teams want CL staged in India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the governing council of the Champions League Twenty20 may be contemplating taking the tournament to South Africa, though none of the Indian teams are game for it. The four IPL teams, which have qualified for the high-profile tournament, want it played in India.

“They (BCCI) and the governing council members, anyway, don’t take our views before deciding on the venue, but we will insist that the tournament be played in India,” said an official of a prominent franchise. “We’ll resist. If the push comes to shove, we will play. We’ll have no choice then.”

It is most likely that the teams, separately or collectively, will write to the BCCI, requesting them not to move the tournament to South Africa. Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians are the four teams which have qualified to play in the tournament.

It is also understood that even the broadcasters are not in favour of the move. ESPN Star Sports, too, are likely to request the BCCI officials to hold the tournament in India.

A formal decision has not yet been made, but the members of the CL governing council, who met in Chennai on the sidelines of the IPL final, mooted the idea of shifting the tournament out of India.

Durga Puja in Kolkata and seasonal rains in southern venues such as Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore are being cited as the reason for the proposal. A final decision will be made this month-end when the governing council meets on the sidelines of ICC’s annual conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The IPL teams argue that if the tournament is shifted out of India, they could suffer revenue loss because of the low TRPs for the tournament besides, of course, facing the prospect of playing in front of empty stands.

According to one franchise official, the revenue from their advertisers is proportionate to the television ratings. If the tournament is played out of India, the ratings, which are already low for the tournament, will drop further resulting in a fall in income.

It will be the fourth year for the tournament which carries a prize money of $ 6 million. The highlight of this year’s edition will be the presence of Pakistan team Sialkot Stallions.