Host IPL overseas to avoid T20 clash: Sunil

NEW DELHI • Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that the Indian Premier League (IPL) could be staged in Sri Lanka in September, especially as Australia's chances of hosting the Twenty20 World Cup in October are looking better.

The showpiece cricket tournament is set to take place from Oct 18 to Nov 19 but remains under threat because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, Australia's decision to allow crowds of up to 10,000 in sports stadiums that have a capacity of 40,000 or less - from next month - has increased hope the event can be staged, with the International Cricket Council set to make a decision next month.

The season has been indefinitely put on ice since March and with the monsoon season set to hit India later this month - it will last around four months - the IPL has instead earmarked a possible September-October window.

That will however coincide with the T20 World Cup, if the green light is given, so former India captain Gavaskar believes Sri Lanka may be the best bet to be the host. "The IPL looks difficult because it could only be held if the World T20 is postponed," he told local TV channel Aaj Tak.

"In September, you can't have the IPL in India due to monsoon. But maybe (it can be held) in Sri Lanka from early September with teams playing each other once instead of double-headers."

Should the IPL move overseas, it would not be an unprecedented decision - South Africa hosted the second edition in 2009 and the first half of the 2014 season took place in the United Arab Emirates.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE