Azharuddin: Hyderabad capable of conducting IPL as per BCCI directives

Mohammad Azharuddin

Former India skipper and current president of Hyderabad Cricket Association, Mohammed Azharuddin on Sunday said that Hyderabad is capable of conducting the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year in a bio-secure bubble.

"I strongly support the appeal by @ktrtrs. Hyderabad is absolutely capable of handling and conducting @IPL as per @BCCI's directives and preparing a bio-secure bubble," Azharuddin tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) working president KT Rama Rao made an appeal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL office bearers to include Hyderabad as one of the venues for the upcoming edition of the league.

"Open appeal to @BCCI and @IPL office bearers to include Hyderabad as one of the venues for upcoming IPL season. Our effective COVID containment measures are reflected in our low number of cases among all metro cities in India & we assure you of all support from the Govt," Rao said in a tweet.

Progressing from the initial idea of hosting the 2021 edition of the IPL in one city, the BCCI is exploring the option of playing the league across four to five cities. While the logistical part will need further discussion, the idea has been floated and is being discussed by the senior officials of the board.

Earlier, speaking to ANI, a BCCI official in the know of developments had said the idea has indeed been discussed and while it is still early days, the 14th edition of the league could well be played in more than one city if things go as per plan.

"We are exploring the possibility of conducting the IPL at more venues than originally planned. The intent is to take it to more fans as the situation is moving towards normalcy. The feasibility of the bio-secure bubble and logistics will of course be crucial to determine the venues finally. It is a fluid situation and the health of the participants is our primary concern," the official had said.

Some of the cities that have been discussed are Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad among others. While the tournament is still some time away, franchises too are open to the idea of having the league in more than one city as that will help to stay flexible with an eye on the COVID-19 situation.

"With multiple cities, obviously there will be individual bubbles. While we want fans from different cities to enjoy the games, the safety of the players and those involved in the league will be a priority," the BCCI official had said.

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