BCCI might add two new teams to the IPL. Does Vizag stand a chance?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might add two new teams to the IPL next year. The Board’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), on 24 December, is expected to witness the officials deliberate over the induction of at least one new team, if not two, to make the IPL a 10-team tournament in 2021. While there has not been any official announcement on the same, it is expected that a few cities are likely to be in the race to be named as the new teams. And boy don’t cricket fans in Vizag get their hopes up every time there’s talk about a new IPL team?

From having a picturesque cricket stadium to being the happy hunting ground for quite a few Indian superstars, Vizag has assumed significance as a cricketing destination in India, especially after the state’s bifurcation in 2013. While the city has been hosting IPL games frequently over the past few years, the prospect of having an IPL team based out of the port city continues to allure the fans. In fact, the closest that the city came to bagging the honour was in 2012, when the BCCI had shortlisted 10 cities, including Vizag, for introducing a new IPL team. With the prospect not materialising in the city’s favour, the wait has been long and uncertain.

With the BCCI awaiting a final nod at the upcoming AGM meet, fans in Vizag will be hoping for things to go in their favour. However, if sources are anything to go by, the chances look bleak this time around as well. Reportedly, Ahmedabad is a front-runner to enter the league while Pune, Kanpur, and Lucknow are likely to be in the mix to make the cut as the tenth team of the cash-rich league. So, does Vizag stand a chance of getting an IPL team in 2021? Distantly possible, but not probable.

It may be recalled that in 2011, the BCCI organised a 10-team IPL with Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Pune Warriors being added to the rooster. However, the teams did not last long with Kochi being terminated after its initial season while Pune Warriors bid adieu in 2013. Two other teams, Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions, were introduced in 2016 in place of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, which were handed over a 2-year suspension.