Aakash Chopra picks three countries that can host IPL 2020

The much-awaited thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League was all set to kick-off from March 29th. However, the tournament had to be postponed for an indefinite period in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic has wreaked havoc across all countries in the past few months, compelling the cricketing scenario to come to a standstill.

Talking about India’s condition amid the COVID-19 debacle, the country has so far witnessed over 6 lakh positive cases and the number is increasing with each passing day. Considering the stern situation, the feasibility of IPL 2020 is still in jeopardy.

Recently, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had stated that the board is trying its best the stage the tournament in the latter part of the year. The T20 World Cup in Australia is likely to be pushed further, giving the BCCI a window to stage the much-anticipated IPL 2020.

UAE will try to boost its inflated economy: Aakash Chopra

A few reports had also suggested that the tournament can be shifted to another country if the COVID-19 situation in India doesn’t subside. Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra, on his YouTube channel, shortlisted three countries which can emerge as hosts to stage the cash-rich league.

The first country which Chopra picked was Sri Lanka. The country has fought COVID-19 pandemic in an effective way and the island nation will be eager to host the IPL to boost its economy. According to Chopra, Sri Lanka has three stadiums– P Premadasa, P Sara Oval and Sinhalese Sports Club to host the matches. With the commencement of international flights, Sri Lanka can be seen as a viable option to host the IPL. However, the monsoon season in  Sri Lanka can hamper most matches of the league.

The second country in Chopra’s list was UAE. According to Chopra, UAE will definitely pull out a red carpet for the IPL in order to boost its currently-inflated economy. Similar to Sri Lanka, UAE also has three stadiums to host the matches.

Lastly, Chopra picked New Zealand as the country recently declared itself free of COVID-19. However, one disadvantage of hosting the tournament will be the difference in time zones. The smaller grounds of New Zealand will also be an issue, opined Chopra.

Here’s the video: