CAB to claim expenses incurred for IPL 2021 ties from BCCI

Wriddhiman Saha

Following BCCI's decision to postpone the Indian Premier League after several players and support staff tested positive for Covid-19, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) decided to give its employees a break for a week.

"Our preparations were over. We could have started the tournament from next day itself," CAB secretary Snehasish Ganguly told mid-day.

Joint secretary Debabrata Das said: "We had kept ready the Jadavpur University Ground for practice. We also installed floodlights so that no team complain about the facility."

The Kolkata leg of the IPL was supposed to begin on May 9.

Snehasish said that the CAB will demand the organisation expenses from the cricket board against bills.

"It is unfortunate that the prestigious tournament had to be postponed, but we fully understand that. People's lives are first priority. It's bad luck, a great number of people have been affected by this postponement. Yes, we are disheartened, but we have to accept it," CAB president Avishek Dalmiya said.

CAB is also keen to check the status of Bengal cricketers who participated in the IPL after Sunrisers Hyderabad's India and Bengal wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha tested positive on Tuesday.