The cricket board has already started planning for cricket resumption amidst the coronavirus pandemic but fans will have to stay away from the stadiums for the foreseeable future in order to contain the spread of the virus. The natural implication of barring entry of fans into venues will lead to empty chairs, eerie silence, and absence of atmosphere. For BCCI, the amount when compared to its overall earnings from a match/series might be smaller, still, it’s extremely important as it helps in maintaining infrastructure.

Describing the same during a webinar, BCCI CEO, Rahul Johri said, “Gate money albeit being a smaller amount of our overall revenue but it is extremely important because the bulk of it goes in the maintenance and upkeep of the stadiums.”

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He further added, “Infrastructure needs to be kept ready and in good health, for which gate money is a criterion. However, in the short term, as we head for normalcy, it is something one can live without but ultimately, it’s an important piece.”

While the focus might be on IPL and international cricket, BCCI is finding it hard to plan their domestic calendar as well. The board organizes nearly 2000 matches every season spread across the country in all age groups and managing that in the backdrop of the lockdown restrictions may prove to be a herculean effort.

Johri said the safety of players and support staff is of paramount importance.

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BCCI CEO explained, “Today, there is a team that can travel 50km to play a match or 3,000 km to play a match because every team plays home and away. In such times, when travel is restricted, the safety of players and support staff is of paramount importance, how do you conduct these leagues? How do you look at it? It is a discussion that we will have and interesting options need to come up. Innovation will be the key in this.”