Reports | CSK not keen on IPL without foreign players

The Covid-19 situation in India, which is worsening by the day, has seen the BCCI indefinitely postpone the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with any hope of the tournament happening this year looking extremely bleak. Travel restrictions in countries across the world have also come as a hindrance to the tournament potentially taking place and hence this, in turn, has led to the BCCI and the organizers pondering to host the tournament without foreigners; i.e. an all-Indian IPL of sorts.

However, three-time champions Chennai Super Kings have already expressed their displeasure over the aforementioned idea and believe that in the case of no overseas participation, the IPL would be just another Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

"CSK is not keen to do an IPL with only Indian players. That way it would be playing another Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (domestic T20 competition),”  a CSK source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. 

With the official announcement of the IPL getting suspended coming towards mid-April, there has been no intimation from the BCCI about the tournament ever since, and CSK, too, revealed that the club has not been in touch with the board regarding the tournament’s future. The franchise official, however, said that he hopes for the tournament to go ahead later in the year.

“The franchise has not been in touch with the BCCI of late as the situation is worsening. Let's hope we can have the IPL later this year.”

Earlier, Sunil Gavaskar had lashed out at a BCCI official who suggested that IPL without Indians would be a glorified Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, stating that such comments demean the reputation of the legendary Indian cricketer Syed Mushtaq Ali.