IPL could resume on either side of T20 WC: RR owner

'The calendars are incredibly packed, and particularly this year after COVID, Boards from around the world and trying to get as many competitions and as many Test matches in as possible'

Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale says scheduling the suspended IPL will be "a real challenge" and there is only a small possibility of hosting the League on either side of the T20 World Cup later this year.

The lucrative league was "indefinitely suspended" last week after four players -- Kolkata Knight Riders' Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, Sunrisers Hyderabad's Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi Capitals' Amit Mishra -- tested positive for COVID-19 in the bio-bubble.

"I think the challenge is just finding space and calendar. The players are already playing too much cricket," Badale said during a virtual interaction arranged by the Royals.

"The calendars are incredibly packed, and particularly this year after COVID, Boards from around the world and trying to get as many competitions and as many Test matches in as possible," he added.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Director of Cricket Ashley Giles has already made it clear that top English cricketers won't be available even on resumption of the league as they have tours to Bangladesh and Pakistan in September and October, while they will compete with Australia at the Ashes right after the T20 World Cup.

Badale said there is a possibility the league could move to either the United Kingdom or the Middle East.

"I think it's going to be a real challenge. There's a possibility -- I think it's a small possibility of something in September in the UK or possibly something in the Middle East -- either side of the T20 World Cup, but I think it's going to be a real challenge."

There has been a lot talk regarding the resumption of the league. BCCI has made it clear that remaining matches cannot be held in India.

There are two windows for the T20 event to be resumed this year -- one is in the second half of September and before the T20 World Cup (October-November ) and the other is after mid-November.

Four premier English counties -- Middlesex, Surrey, Warwickshire and Lancashire -- have expressed interest in hosting the remaining 31 games of the popular league.