|| CF Correspondent || 

A senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has dismissed the reports suggesting that Sri Lanka has proposed to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which has been proposed ‘till further notice’ following Indian government’s move to extend the countrywide lockdown to the curb the spread of COVID-19.

“The BCCI will not be in a position to say anything when the world is closed. There is no proposal from SLC yet and obviously no discussion,” the official was quoted in PTI on conditions of anonymity when asked about the BCCI’s stand when the offer is on table.

Earlier on Thursday, a report in Sri Lankan newspaper – Lankadeepa- suggested that Sri Lanka cricket president Shammi Silva had already written to the BCCI in what was a proposal to shift the 13th edition of IPL to Sri Lanka and that the country is ready to provide all facilities in consultation with the government and medical experts.

“Apparently it will cost the BCCI and its stakeholders more than $500 million to cancel the IPL. So perhaps they can minimise those losses by hosting the tournament in another country,” Silva was quoted as saying to Sinhala daily Lankadeepa.

“If they play it in Sri Lanka, it’s easy for Indian audiences to watch the games on TV. There’s precedent for this because they’ve played the IPL in South Africa before. We’re waiting for the Indian board to respond to our proposal,” he added.