ICC, some members want Champions Trophy in T20 format. BCCI opposes

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Bengaluru, March 21: The BCCI and ICC are at loggerheads again over the Champions Trophy 2021, scheduled to be hosted by India.

The ICC and a few other member boards want the next edition of the Champions Trophy to be held in the T20 format to make it more commercially viable. But the BCCI argues that the Champions Trophy - a brainchild of its former chief Jagmohan Dalmiya - format should not be tinkered with and should continue to play as an ODI tournament.

"We will oppose any such move strongly. Former BCCI chief Dalmiya, whose fifth death anniversary, coincides with the next edition of the tournament, conceptualized this tournament and why there should be a change now? The Champions Trophy, apart from the World Cup, has been a money spinner ODI tournament over the years," said a BCCI official.

The dispute over the format is the latest in a series of tiffs between the BCCI and ICC over the Champions Trophy. After its board meeting in Dubai in February 2018, the ICC had said it might take the Champions Trophy out of India if the Central Government does not relax the tax rules for the event.

"The Board expressed their concern around the absence of a tax exemption from the Indian Government for ICC events held in India despite ongoing efforts from both the ICC and BCCI to secure the exemption which is standard practice for major sporting events around the world," the ICC had said.

However, the BCCI officials warned that trying to use Indian environment to nullify its revenue loss could only land the ICC in trouble.

"BCCI cannot stand to make up the revenue loss of ICC. The ICC cannot to wait for Indian Government to provide tax exemption to make profit and such efforts will only make things difficult for the ICC," he said.