The Indian cricket board has decided to play a shorter Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament at an overseas venue in September to tap into the captive audience and revenue potential.
All eight teams will participate in a trimmed, two-week affair. The tournament will not be on a home-and-away basis with the format to be decided soon, BCCI president Anurag Thakur told a news conference after its working committee meeting on Friday.
The IPL franchises have been seeking permission from the board for such a tournament, particularly in the US, as they have struggled to make sizeable profits. The deliberations have been on for almost a year and the BCCI has now given a go ahead.
“In September, the BCCI is willing to host a mini-IPL overseas with all eight teams,” he said. Thakur said the modalities, including whether the current IPL broadcasters Sony will telecast the matches or the rights will be given to a fresh bidder, were to be decided.
According to BCCI sources, they didn’t want to delay the announcement because the window was very short and they did not want any other tournament to be slotted in.
Thakur said: “We have to speak to the franchises, broadcasters and look at the revenue model. Many countries are willing to host. We have to look at the various time zone (and decide) where we can take it. It will be an annual affair.”
@Agency report.
