BCCI turns down ICC’s request for a match in Kolkata

BCCI have rejected ICC’s request to reschedule an IPL match in Kolkata this year, as the Indian board is unwilling to make such a drastic change on such short notice.

An annual meeting is set to take place in Kolkata between April 22 and 26, which will be attended by several high profile delegates from ICC. The delegates wanted to see an IPL match during that time, and hence asked the BCCI to arrange for a match during that period.

But it with no matches scheduled in Kolkata during that period of time, the BCCI have politely requested ICC’s request.

“Yes, there was a specific request from ICC as they wanted it’s various member delegates to watch an IPL game. However, between April 22 and 26, there are no home games of KKR at the Eden Gardens. If we have to reschedule it, the entire itinerary would be in a disarray. So we told them that it’s not possible to have an IPL match rescheduled,” the official was quoted as saying by the PTI.

The BCCI’s main reason was that there hardly any time to make drastic changes to the schedule. Any change in schedule during that period of time would have needed a major restructuring, which the IPL Governing body were not interested in.

The ICC have been very interested in the success of cricket’s richest league, as they have grown to accept it as the one of the biggest events during the cricketing calendar. So much so that form next year, the IPL will see a separate window in the ICC calendar, thereby allowing the best players in the world to play in the league.