BCCI planning to shift IPL 2021, India vs England ODI series out of Maharashtra – Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly contemplating shifting the three-match One-Day International (ODI) between India and England from Pune following the surge in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra in recent times.

On Thursday, Maharashtra recorded over 8,000 COVID-19 cases, with 1,100 cases alone in Mumbai.

After playing the first two Tests in Chennai, India and England flew to Ahmedabad for the final two Tests. The third game ended inside two days, with India winning by 10 wickets. The match was played at the rebuilt Sardar Patel Stadium. The venue is set to host the final Test as well, which is due to begin on March 4.

The five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series will also be played at the same venue, which is the world's biggest cricket stadium.

At the end of the shortest format series, India and England were scheduled to fly out to Pune for the three-match ODI series but the Indian cricket board is looking for other options to relocate the 50-over series.

Earlier it was reported that the BCCI had planned to host the eight-week IPL 2021 at multiple venues in Maharastra, which included international venues in Mumbai and Pune as it offers a good opportunity to create a smaller pool of bio-secure bubbles but the latest surge in OCVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is a cause of concern for the cricket board. The BCCI was looking at Mumbai as it had four international venues, including Wankhede, Brabourne, DY Patil and Reliance Stadium.

The BCCI is also preparing a Plan B to host the IPL 2021. The board is now looking across four to five venues in India, reported by Sports Today. The report has also stated that the knockout stages and the final of IPL 2021 will be held at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad. It is understood that BCCI is now looking at four to five cities for IPL 2021 games, including Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad to host the group stage of the cash-rich tournament.

Last year, the IPL was shifted to the UAE amid the pandemic. Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians (MI) had defended their title by beating first-time finalists Delhi Capitals (DC) in the final in Dubai.