The remaining 31 matches of IPL 2021 is likely to get underway in the UAE from September 18-19 and will have eight double-headers during a 25-day window, according to well-places sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). A BCCI top brass met Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai, in an extended meeting in Dubai and were given assurance of ‘‘full cooperation’’ like last year.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has gotten positive news from the Emirates Cricket Board over the resumption of the Indian IPL 2021 season. Despite UAE hosting a few high-profile contests including the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and international cricket matches, the organisers have given BCCI the nod.
Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI President, could not be present in the meeting as he flew in with his family to Dubai later in the day and would be camping there for the next three to four days for a recce of the venues.
As per a report in Gulf News, the tournament will be conducted over a 25-day window which will have a total of 8 doubleheaders. BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly, is even set to stay in UAE for the next few days and do a recce of the venues.
It has also been learned that up to 30 percent fans could be allowed in the three stadiums — Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi — for the IPL Season 14 Phase-2. The Dubai Sports Council has been allowing a 30% capacity crowd in such public sporting events of late and the same could be implemented in the IPL.
.
It could well be a hectic year for the UAE as hosts as they are in line to host the remaining 20 matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Abu Dhabi from next week, followed by the IPL in the UAE while the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked the UAE to be ready alongwith a Gulf country as a contingency plan to host the T20 World Cup in October-November.
.
The BCCI has until June 28 to finalise the venue for this year’s T20 World Cup. In the ICC meeting on June 01, the Indian board had asked for such an extension in order to observe how the Covid-19 situation develops in the country. The Emirates Cricket Board, however, has been given a heads up about the possibility of hosting the T20 World Cup too.
