Bullish about the IPL's success as a TV-only event, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on Monday said he expects the T20 extravaganza to shatter viewership records this year. The IPL begins on September 19 and will be played across three cities in the UAE -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah --, forced out of India due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament's build-up hit a rough patch when 13 members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent, including two players, tested positive for the dreaded virus last week. "Crowds will watch it on television...they (the broadcasters) are actually expecting the highest rating of IPL this season because they believe if (people) don't turn up in the ground, they will be actually watching on their television sets," Ganguly said while delivering an online lecture as part of the 'Symbiosis Golden Jubilee Lecture Series'.