BCCI Puts IPL 2025 Teams in Trouble, Blocks Use of Home Grounds for Practice
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been taking strict actions lately. Recently, they set clear rules for cricketers after losing two-Test series in a row. Now the board has told the state associations in no uncertain terms that they can only host domestic matches and not other games before the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins.
The reason behind this decision was taken after several tournaments like the Legends League and the Celebrity Premier League had been conducted in big stadiums. BCCI has also told the state associations that even the IPL teams cannot practice on the main pitch or outfield.
“We would like to clarify the following regarding the usage of grounds before the IPL. The main square and the outfield may be used for the Ranji Trophy knockout matches, should any be scheduled at your venue. Under no circumstances should the main square and outfield be used for any local matches, legends league, celebrity cricket, or provided to the IPL franchises for practice sessions. This is essential to preserve the pitch and outfield in prime conditions for the IPL matches,” BCCI wrote to state associations in an email, according to CricBuzz.
| Venue | Cricket Association |
|---|---|
| Mumbai | Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) – For MI games |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) – For GT games |
| Chennai | Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) – For CSK games |
| Bengaluru | Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) – For RCB games |
| Hyderabad | Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) – For SRH games |
| Kolkata | Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) – For KKR games |
| Delhi | Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) – For DC games |
| Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) – For LSG games |
| Mohali | Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) – For PBKS games |
| Jaipur | Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) – For RR games |
| Guwahati | Assam Cricket Association (ACA) – For RR games |
| Dharamsala | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) – For PBKS games |
Challenges for IPL Franchises in Preparations
Two Celebrity Premier League matches were held today (February 8) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is a BCCI-affiliated venue and home of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, courtesy of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). As the IPL 2025 begins from March 24, BCCI asked the pitches to be left untouched for the big tournament.
The Ranji Trophy will continue until early March, with the final scheduled from February 26 to March 2. Because of this, the BCCI will not allow stadiums hosting the quarterfinals and semifinals to be used for other matches.
Many IPL teams have already started preparing for the season, but they now face a problem. Not all teams have two stadiums in their home city. It will be interesting to see how the franchises handle this new challenge from the board.