Rajasthan Royals ready to play shortened IPL 2020 with Indian players only: CEO Ranjit Barthakur

With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading like a wildfire, the fate of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 has been left hanging in balance. While the BCCI did postpone the cash-rich tournament till April 15, there has been no confirmation on whether IPL 2020 will take place after it as India continues to remain in a 21-day lockdown period to combat the deadly virus. 

Rajasthan Royals CEO Ranjit Barthakur on Wednesday revealed that any final call on IPL 2020 is unlikely to be taken before April 15 while adding that they are open to the idea of a shortened league with only Indian players. 

"We are open to a shortened tournament with only Indian players, at the end of the day it is the Indian Premier League," Barthakur told PTI.

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Given the number of positive cases of coronavirus are rapidly rising, IPL 2020 seems unlikely to go ahead unless the BCCI compromises on a few bilateral series later in 2020, freeing up window for the event.

"These are extraordinary times and the BCCI will do the best it can when things improve," the RR executive said.

"Earlier we could not think of an Indians-only IPL but now there is enough quality to choose from. It is better to have an Indians-only IPL than not at all.

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"When can we have it? That BCCI decides. And I think that call be taken only post 15th April," Barthakur added.

Earlier, RR's majority owner Manoj Badale had admitted that the IPL "pales into insignificance in terms of things we should be really be thinking about right now".

With no final call likely before April 15, the waiting game surrounding the fate of IPL 2020 continues.