3 reasons why South Africa should host IPL 2022
The fifteenth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is around the corner and there's plenty of buzz amongst fans. With 10 teams set to take part in the tournament this year, the IPL is expected to be a grander (and slightly longer) tournament.
After a bio-bubble breach last season, the tournament had to be stopped midway through, before being shifted to the UAE for the second leg.
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With concerns looming about the third COVID-19 wave in India, the BCCI is reportedly looking at alternative venues for the cash-rich league. Sri Lanka and South Africa are the two countries that have been thrown in the mix to host the IPL.
South Africa have hosted the tournament in the past when the IPL was shifted to the Rainbow Nation in 2009.
In this article, we take a look at three reasons why South Africa will be the best venue option for this year's IPL.
#3 Dew factor in games
One of the major drawbacks of the tournament's games being held in the UAE was the dew factor that set in during the second innings. Winning the toss and fielding first almost guaranteed success during the second leg of last year's IPL.
Even during the recently held T20 World Cup in the UAE, two-thirds of the 45 games ended up in favour of the team that won the toss. The Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Cricket Ground in Sharjah and the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai were the only three venues to host games throughout both tournaments.
Low-scoring matches were regular affairs during both tournaments. The tacky pitches =failed to give fans high-scoring encounters, which is what the shortest format of the game is known for.
With the time difference of three and a half hours between the two countries, the matches in South Africa would start at 4 PM local time. Not only would this allow players enough time to rest and recover, but it will also nullify the dew factor or at least keep it to a minimum.
#2 South Africa's previous experience of hosting the IPL
As mentioned earlier, the Rainbow Nation hosted the tournament quite successfully in 2009. The season was celebrated as a blockbuster event after it was forced to shift out of India due to the general elections being held in the country.
The pitches in South Africa favored spin conditions during that season since it was the end of the Proteas summer. This time around, the conditions can come much closer to replicating the Indian conditions.
South Africa also recently hosted a series against India. The series went through smoothly without any bio-bubble breaches despite the surge in cases in the Rainbow Nation.
The BCCI and CSA share a lot of mutual admiration and a good relationship, making the Rainbow Nation a very viable option for the upcoming IPL season.
Big thank you @BCCI @JayShah @SGanguly99 and the Indian players and management for the faith you showed in SA cricket’s ability to pull off a safe and successful tour. Your commitment at an uncertain time has set the example that a lot can follow.
#1 Logistical issues
One of BCCI's main concerns when hosting the tournament in the UAE this year were the financial and logistical issues they would have to deal with. Hosting the marquee tournament in the UAE for the second year running would not be a financially viable option for the BCCI.
Apart from the financial constraints, hosting the tournament in South Africa also allows the games to be played at a reasonable time for the players. With a time difference of three and a half hours, early starts and early finishes can ensure that the players have enough time to rest, recover and travel.
With the grounds in South Africa within driving distance of each other, it will be much more convenient to maintain the tournament's bio-bubble as well.