A senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official has revealed that failing to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year will affect the Future Tour Programme (FTP) of team India as the board would have to ensure that the domestic players get their chance to earn money this year.

The IPL 2020, which was scheduled to be played from March 29 this year, was earlier postponed to April 15 before it was suspended indefinitely due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, several media reports had stated that the BCCI was reportedly looking at the possibility to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League – suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic – from September 25 to November 1, considering that the T20 World Cup would be postponed.

However, the ICC T20 World Cup is also scheduled to happen at the same time – October 18 to November 15. But the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has put the fate of the multination tournament in a limbo.

“If the T20 World Cup is scrapped, as it increasingly looks as if it will, then travelling to Australia in October would not be practical and we can visit them post the IPL, if the IPL season indeed happens during that period.

“If the IPL was not to take place then it would impact the FTP as far as India is concerned as the BCCI will have to ensure revenues to ensure that the domestic players earn money this year. This is only the scenario pertaining to India. The other boards also have their issues. The indecision at the ICC is costing the ICC members at the moment,” he pointed.

The BCCI official’s comments have come after Cricket Australia (CA) chairman claimed that staging the T20 World later this year would be “unrealistic” and “very very difficult”.

“While it hasn’t been formally called off this year, or postponed, trying to get sixteen countries into Australia in the current world, where most countries are still going through COVID spiking, I think it is unrealistic, or it’s going to be very, very difficult,” said Eddings on Tuesday in a virtual press conference.

“The ICC are having meetings as we speak, it’s a bit of a movable feast at the moment,” he added.