India optimistic as COVID threatens T20 World Cup double whammy

New Delhi: India's cricket board is hoping it might be able to squeeze the remainder of its lucrative Indian Premier League into a crowded calendar and is still confident of hosting the T20 World Cup later this year, a top official told Reuters on Thursday.

Already looking at a $270 million revenue loss following the suspension of the IPL, the board faces a second financial hammer blow if the COVID-19 pandemic prevents India staging the ICC tournament in October and November. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, has not given up hope of cramming the 31 remaining IPL matches into the season, despite the tight demands of cricket's international schedule, known as the Future Tours Programme (FTP).