BCCI ready to launch mini IPL overseas

Star is favourite to bag the broadcasting rights for the overseas version of cash-rich league

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is ready to introduce a mini version of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) in every September, starting from this year.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur said on Friday that the league will take place overseas and the date and format of the event will be announced soon.

"In the month of September, the BCCI is willing to host a mini IPL or IPL overseas," Thakur said at the end of the board's working committee meeting in Dharamsala on Friday. "[It will be] a shorter format, not home and away matches but a lesser number of matches; in a two-week window we will be able to complete it."

Thakur said that the BCCI had a restricted window available for the event as the Duleep Trophy – India's first-class zonal competition – is scheduled for the end of September.

"It is a tight schedule,” he said. “It is in a less than two-week window we have to organise [the tournament]. And we have to look into various details: which country we can play in, how many teams, how many players should participate, who will be the broadcaster — all these issues need to deliberated, but we are keen to play in that window."

Star is understood to be the favourite to bag the broadcasting rights for the mini IPL while Sony already has in bag the rights for the IPL till 2017.

"More details can be shared once we speak to the various stakeholders," said Thakur. "We'll speak to the franchises, to the broadcaster, and look at the revenue model before finalising the dates and the format."

BCCI’s probable options in terms of venue are the US and the UAE which were also discussed at the IPL governing council meeting but Thakur said naming a country right now is not possible.

"There are many options, many countries host the IPL. So there will be a process to look at the various time zones available, various markets available, which could be the best partner country, whether every year it should be hosted in that country or the countries can be changed,” he said.

Anurag Thakur was quoted by ESPNcricinfo