BCCI AGM: IPL 2021 plans and tax exemptions for ICC events on the agenda

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to hold their 89^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ahmedabad on December 24. There are some key points of discussion for the BCCI with regards to IPL 2021 and the major ICC events that will take place in India in 2021. The ICC World T20 will be held in India in 2021 but that is subject to whether the coronavirus pandemic is under control. However, the major point of contention will be whether IPL 2021 will have 10 teams or will it stay with the traditional format of eight teams with the current knockout situation. However, according to a report in PTI, the BCCI is not too keen for 10 teams in 2021 and they might give approval for the mega-auction and 10 teams for IPL 2022. The major reason could be the current economic downturn in India due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“At this point, the 10-team IPL, if BCCI intends to conduct it in 2021, will be a hurried one given that the tendering process and a mega auction will be difficult to organise in such a short span of time. It is only fair that the approval is taken and the big 94 match tournament is held in 2022,” a senior BCCI official told PTI.

Tax exemption for ICC events

There's only a week left for the BCCI to meet the ICC's deadline of giving complete assurance that the global body will get full tax exemption for holding the World T20 in October-November or else it will be shifted to the UAE. While there has been precedence of exemptions during earlier global events, the current tax laws won't allow exemption for a sporting event and it will be interesting to see what will be the BCCI's stand on the issue.

In 2018, the BCCI was asked by the ICC to either pay USD 23 million by the end of the year as compensation for the tax deductions incurred in hosting the 2016 World T20 or end up losing the 2023 World Cup rights.

In the ICC board meeting, held in Singapore in October 2018, the minutes of the meeting read that the BCCI would have to compensate for the tax deductions that the ICC faced as India hosted the 2016 World T20, after no exemption in taxes was given by either the state or the central government.