Anil Kumble against shifting Indian Premier League out of India

Former India captain Anil Kumble said he was not in favour of shifting the Indian Premier League (IPL) out the country.

“IPL is a global brand which brings in a lot of revenue to the country. It should not be shifted,” he said on Wednesday.

The legendary leg-spinner, who played in 132 Tests and 271 ODIs, led the Royal Challengers Bangalore to the final of the second edition of the cash-rich league in 2009.

Last week, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur threatened to move the next edition of the league abroad.

The IPL was twice played outside India, both in assembly election years. In 2009, it was moved to South Africa for the entire duration and in 2014, the league was shifted to the United Arab Emirates for the first 15 days.

The ongoing ninth edition has seen many PILs being filed by various outfits. The board was forced to move 12 matches out of drought-hit Maharashtra on Bombay High Court’s directive after a PIL was filed claiming that a huge quantity of water was being used to maintain various cricket stadiums in the state.a