India confident of hosting T20 World Cup

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.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have lined up the United Arab Emirates as the back-up T20 venue in case there is no improvement but BCCI Treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told Reuters by telephone that he was confident there would be no need. "We will keep monitoring the situation but as of now we are going ahead as per our original plan," he said.

"Hopefully things will get better and we'll be able to organise it in India. Given the experience in other countries,(the coronavirus surge is) likely to come down.