Despite the COVID-19 situation in India, The Times of India stated, citing sources, that the Board of Control for India (BCCI) is considering holding the entire 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Maharashtra.

The world’s richest cricket body is planning to execute Plan B for the smooth functioning of the next IPL season due to the alarming rise of coronavirus cases in the country.

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The BCCI has had difficulties staging the T20 league in the last two years. Despite the fact that the entire IPL 2020 season was held in the United Arab Emirates, the 2021 season has to be moved out of India because of the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the team camps.

According to rumours, the BCCI intends to hold the 2018 IPL season at four different venues: Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, near Pune.

Sources cited by the newspaper said, “On January 5, Hemang Amin (BCCI’s interim CEO and the Chief Operating Officer of the IPL) approached Vijay Patil (Mumbai Cricket Association president) in this regard, on the sidelines of the MCA’s Apex Council meeting. Subsequently, a few days later, Amin and Patil met Sharad Pawar at the NCP supremo’s residence.”

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“Pawar has given his green signal to the BCCI’s proposal. During this week or in the next 10 days, he, the BCCI and MCA officials will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and state chief secretary Debashish Chakrabarty to arrange for the necessary permission in this regard. There should be no problem on this front, as the tournament will be played in a strict bio bubble with no crowds, and the players and officials will be tested frequently,” the sources added.

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Despite the fact that Maharashtra and Mumbai have been hit by coronavirus outbreaks, athletic events have been given the green light as long as a few conditions are observed, according to the sources.

The BCCI may even move the upcoming IPL edition out of India if the situation in India does not improve, according to the sources. The defending champions of the IPL are the Chennai Super Kings.