Michael Vaughan says IPL will be a great warm-up for the T20 World Cup in Australia

Former English skipper Michael Vaughan said that the IPL 2020 should be played but before the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Australia later this year i.e. in October-November.

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'So important for the game': Michael Vaughan

It so happened that during a Q&A session on social media, a passionate cricket fan had told Vaughan that the T20 World Cup 2020 which is scheduled to be held in Australia be abandoned because of obvious difficulties with players flying in, quarantines, etc. and that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) swoops in and plays the IPL in the October-November window. He also said that the Cricket Australia (CA) will let players compete knowing it needs India to tour in summer after which he asked the former England captain for his opinion.

Meanwhile, the Champions Trophy 2004 finalist replied by saying that the IPL is played for the 5 weeks leading up to the T20 World Cup Down Under and therefore, all players use it as the great warm-up for the showpiece event after which the World Cup will happen. The ex-batsman also added it is so important for the game that he IPL takes place but also the World Cup as well.

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Stakeholders looking at the September-November window for IPL 2020

According to reports, the stakeholders are looking at the September-November window later this year to make the IPL 2020 season happen. The organisers are keen on having a go at this plan even if it’s a short season without foreign players.

As per a  leading media network, the source said that either way, one thing remains clear. The source added that the IPL 2020 takes precedence whenever the markets open. That’s because the IPL 2020 remains the elephant in the room rather than the BCCI forcing it. 

If IPL 2020 indeed takes place without overseas players, there are fears that the tournament may lose its charm. According to a BCCI official, it would be exactly like another Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy if the foreign cricketers don’t play their trade-in IPL 2020. However, the IPL officials are still optimistic and are hopeful that the presence of top India stars at the IPL 2020 will be enough to attract the fans to the stadiums. 

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