In an interesting development that has caused quite the buzz within the cricketing fraternity of India, the two broadcasters of the Indian Premier League (IPL)- the Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar, have requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to start the marquee tournament from Saturday, March 26, 2022.
Until this point, the BCCI had an understanding with all the stakeholders that the 2022 edition of the IPL would begin from Sunday, March 27, 2022. The governing board of cricket in the country, the BCCI, has not yet declared the date sheet of the UPL tournament matches. This time, the members of the IPL governing council will have to spend some extra midnight oil to chalk out a schedule since this year’s edition will see a total of 10 teams competing for the top awards.
At the end of last year, i.e., 2021, the BCCI had selected two new franchises to add to the existing roster. The new franchises have recently revealed their brand names: Gujarat Titans (GT), the Ahmedabad-based outfit, and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the Lucknow-based franchise.
BCCI Looking Seriously To Resolve Issue
The latest reports coming from the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai suggest that the BCCI and the representatives of the Star Sports Network and Disney+Hottsar are having a long-term discussion to sort out the differences concerning the start of the flashy tournament. The board has since the last year stated that it favors Sunday, March 27, to be the perfect curtain-raiser day of the IPL. The conglomerate of the broadcasters, on the other hand, are pushing for a Saturday, March 26 start of the IPL, mainly because they want to utilize the weekend to its total capacity. It is common knowledge that viewership reaches peak scales in India during the weekends; the broadcasters wish to capitalize on that.
Currently, the board and the team representing the two broadcasters are busy finding a solution to the scheduling problem. Insider sources have informed the media that mainly the Star team insists on a March 26 start of the IPL. Since the network is highly influential in the media industry, the appeal is being entertained by the BCCI with diligence.
When reporters asked a representative from one of the IPL franchises about the present situation, the member commented on the condition of anonymity, “We understand that a Saturday start helps the broadcaster to kick-start the league with a bang with three matches in the first weekend. A Sunday inauguration would not permit that. The BCCI and the broadcasters were in discussion over this, and eventually, it could be on March 26.”
Broadcasters Putting Pressure On Board To Alter Date
From what we have learned from both sides, that is, the BCCI and the network officials, the discussion is heading toward an amicable solution, with high chances that the BCCI would change its schedule planning to suit its interests media partners.
The leading consortium in the sports entertainment industry in India, the Star Sports Network, had recently communicated to the cricket board about its plans for coverage for the upcoming cricket calendar. Since the network is the leading provider of live coverage to most of the world’s top sports competitions over to Indian viewers, it is understood they have a more concrete stance from the BCCI. In an email to the BCCI, the network has started its objective.
The email reads as follows- “At the onset, wanted to check with you on your availability for IPL 2022 on the world feed broadcast. So request you to please provide your availability not only for the tournament but probably say minus 8-10 days from the start date and plus five days from the end date to be safe, so effectively from March 19, 2022, to say June 7, 2022.”
Conclusion
In what is being seen as another delay on BCCI’s part, the venues of the IPL league and knock-out games have not yet been made public by the board. Although a tentative list was shared some time back, the board is still monitoring the Covid-19 situation in the country. So, cricket observers are of the view that this could be a reason why the BCCI is not being prompt with matters this season.
As of now, the board has identified four cricket stadiums in Maharashtra where all the matches of the IPL 2022 edition would be accommodated. These four grounds are- the Wankhede, DY Patil Stadium and the Brabourne in Mumbai, and the Pune Cricket Stadium in Pune.