After rain plays spoilsport to MPL final, MCA president hopes BCCI relaxes norms for state leagues

Considering the onset of monsoon has affected the intra-state T20 leagues within the west zone, Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president Rohit Pawar has acknowledged it would enchantment to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to loosen up the window norms for state leagues.

According to the BCCI directive, a state league can start solely 15 days after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and can’t be held after September 15 until the tip of the home season.

With the monsoon arriving in western and central India round June 15, it has put the state leagues in jeopardy. The Mumbai T20 League was final staged in 2018. The Saurashtra Premier League – scheduled to start on June 15 – needed to be postponed as a consequence of a cyclone.

The Maharashtra Premier League (MPL), revived this 12 months after nicely over a decade, was lucky to see the league stage being unaffected with the monsoon being delayed. But the ultimate of the MPL needed to be deserted, with the climate affecting the business finish of the event.

Pawar acknowledged that each one the associations, particularly these within the west zone, will make a joint enchantment to the BCCI. “All of us will get together and try and discuss with the BCCI, whether the rule can be relaxed a bit. Even if the window can be advanced by 10 days – ideally at the end of May – it can help all of us.,” Pawar informed Sportstar on the sidelines of the MPL closing.

“Despite so many issues to deal with, including the World Cup preparation, the BCCI gave us the go-ahead for this season. It shows it is positive and I sincerely believe that it will be supportive of this request as well in future.”

Interestingly, the BCCI directive – accessed by Sportstar – was communicated to the state associations through the stint of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators. The elected BCCI office-bearers have avoided enjoyable the rule up to now.

Besides the 5 associations within the west zone – Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Saurashtra and Baroda – the rule additionally places plans of state leagues for BCCI members in central zone, together with Vidarbha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

With the monsoon rain current in these areas between mid-June and early October, it turns into an enormous threat for an affiliation to organise a commercially viable state T20 league.