IPL Likely To Be Played In UAE
The postponed Indian Premier League 2021 is expected to be resumed on September 18 or 19 in the UAE with 10 double-headers expected to be played during a three-week window. The final might be held on October 9 or 10. The three-week window will be enough for the league to complete its remaining 31 games for the season, a win-win scenario for all the primary stakeholders including the BCCI, franchises and broadcasters. The IPL 2021 was postponed on May 4 after multiple COVID-19 cases inside its bio-bubble came to light affecting several players. Mumbai headquartered BCCI has consulted all the stakeholders and the likely start could be between September 18th to 20th, says a source. The Indian team’s last Test match against England is set to end on September 14 at Manchester and on the next day, the whole team will be flown to the UAE in a chartered flight for a “bubble to bubble” transfer. The Indian team and the English players who will be available will fly in the same charter flight from Manchester to Dubai. The BCCI has decided to cancel India’s T20 series against South Africa scheduled in September. BCCI suspended IPL 2021 indefinitely on May 4 after positive Covid-19 cases emerged in bio-bubbles across multiple franchises in Ahmedabad and Delhi. Indian players and a section of overseas contingent have returned home after the BCCI announced the decision earlier this month. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla was emphatic saying it will happen” and a decision would be taken when the pandemic situation improved. The statement also said the BCCI would do everything in its power to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021. Speaking to Star Sports he indicated that the decision-making process continued on its resumption. “Obviously the current situation in India is pretty bad, everybody is scared, so even they [foreign players] might be scared. A few players spoke to their franchises about wanting to leave the country, the franchises also confided in us. Not many players were willing to leave the country, but obviously, there is a panic-like situation, and if people are scared, we need to look at that aspect and take steps accordingly. So taking the players’ concerns, their families’ concerns in mind, we have taken this decision’’, he added. By PKC
