India might not host Champions Trophy 2021
What's the story?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering prospective countries to host the Champions Trophy 2021, which was previously scheduled to take place in India. However, the Indian government couldn't provide tax exemptions to the international cricketing body for the sporting event.
"In other matters, the Board expressed their concern around the absence of a tax exemption from the Indian Government for ICC events held in India despite ongoing efforts from both the ICC and BCCI to secure the exemption which is standard practice for major sporting events around the world," ICC said in a statement.
In case you didn't know..
In its Special General Meeting (SGM) back in December 2017, the BCCI confirmed that India would be hosting the Champions Trophy 2021 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 entirely. The eighth edition of the Champions Trophy was hosted in England in 2017, where the Virat Kohli-led side made it to the final of the tournament.
The details
ICC revealed that though it is looking for alternative host countries that fall into a similar time zone as India, talks with the Indian government over the hosting of the event are still on. The statement also said that the BCCI has extended its support for the tax exemptions, which are quite pedestrian when it comes to sporting events like the Champions Trophy.
The committee also revealed that the upcoming fund allocations will give more finances to Afghanistan and Ireland, who were awarded Test status by ICC last year.
What's next?
A tournament as big as the Champions Trophy moving out of India would prove to be a major financial hit for the BCCI. It might also lead to India losing its power amongst the international cricketing bodies. It remains to be seen whether the Indian government will compromise on its stance.
Author's take
The Champions Trophy is one of the most-viewed and highly anticipated events in world cricket. The fact that India was hosting two back-to-back major events in the span of two years provided a huge boost for BCCI and its standing with the ICC.
If they stand to lose out on the Champions Trophy now, it will not reflect well on the world cricketing scenario. This might even affect India's chances of hosting the 2023 World Cup.