The entire Indian cricket nation expressed their worries when they heard that former Indian captain and current chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was admitted to Woodlands hospital in Kolkata a day after the New Year, January 2.

Ganguly was rushed to the said hospital after he complained of feeling uneasy while working out at the gym in his residence in Kolkata. The current 48-year-old chief of BCCI went through several tests and it was reported that he suffered a mild heart attack and had 3 blocked coronary arteries.

The Indian cricket icon was said to have gone under angioplasty. It was reported that he has been a bit tired and weak during his stay at the hospital and as he went into full recovery. However, his health condition didn't stop him from attending the recent IPL Governing Council meeting. India Today reported that Ganguly attended the meeting from his cabin but his video camera wasn't on. The upcoming IPL is something that many look forward to this year. IPL 2021 - CSK vs MI, RCB vs DC, KXIP vs RR, KKR vs SRH, and many other matches that fans are looking forward to.

In the recent meeting, it was discussed that the eight franchises that will be involved this year will have to submit their lineup or the list of their respective retained players on or before January 21. The IPL chairman, Brijesh Patel spoke to the PTI and said, "We will have the players' retention till 21 January and the trading window for the franchises closes on 4 February."

As fans await the next IPL, there are reports that BCCI's deal with IMG has already ended. However, based on recent updates, IMG has denied the termination of their IPL event management rights. IMG issued a statement and said that they are still in discussion with BCCI about the future of their deal.

The brief statement from IMG only said: "We are in discussions with our colleagues at the BCCI, who we are proud to support on the IPL which has become one of the world's leading sporting events since its inception in 2007. Most recently, together we safely delivered a successful 2020 season in the UAE, despite extraordinary challenges posed by the global pandemic."

IMG has been BCCI's partner for 13 years now. After the 10th year of their partnership, BCCI did sign a new contract with IMG in 2017 for another 5 years. However, there are now talks that the BCCi is keen on conducting IPL 2021 on their own.

There is still no official statement from anyone in the BCCI regarding this matter. TOI only quoted a source who said, The BCCI has, over the years, gained rich experience in running the league and is well-equipped to put in place a world-class team to run the show. Right now, all we can say is that the partnership with IMG has run its course."

Last Thursday, Ganguly was discharged from woodlands. He also let everyone know that he is already feeling fine. Ganguly said, "I am absolutely fine. Hopefully, I will be able to fly soon. We come to hospitals to get our life back."

He thanked the doctors and the health care staff who took care of him. According to the hospital, before Ganguly was released, the results of his routine blood tests were satisfactory and his ECG was also already normal. However, he is still due for more treatments for his other arteries in two to three weeks.

Ganguly was welcomed warmly by different media personnel and fans when he was discharged from the hospitals. There were people seen holding posters and placards to wish him a speedy recovery. It can be seen how fans care so much about the former cricketer and now head of the BCCI.

Regarding the next season of the IPL, it is likely that it will be held during the second or third week of February. Many speculated that the season will have eight regular franchises. Many did report that two more franchises will be added this year.

However, it was already decided in the BCCI's 89th Annual General Meeting or the AGM in Ahmedabad that the two new franchises will be added to the 2022 edition of the IPL instead. About the venue of this year's IPL, it is still not finalized yet. Previous reports have said that it will either be held in India or the UAE.