Cricket lovers rejoice, the 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start on September 19 in the UAE with the final to be held on November 8, its Chairman Brijesh Patel said on Friday. However, the official declaration will be made following the Governing Council meeting next week, during which, the officials will plan the final details and approve the schedule.
A senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity "IPL in all likelihood will start on September 19 (Saturday) and the final will be held on November 8 (Sunday). It is a 51-day window which will suit the franchises as well as the broadcasters and other stakeholders.” Dubai International Stadium, Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi) and the Sharjah ground are available for the matches in UAE. Some reports suggest that the BCCI will be hiring the grounds of the ICC Academy for the training of the clubs.
The cricket’s biggest tournament has been made possible by the ICC's verdict to postpone the T20 World Cup which was scheduled in October-November in the wake of coronavirus outbreak due to which the host country stated its incapacity to conduct the event.
Also, the primary reports suggested that the IPL would kick off on September 26, it is said that the organisers preponed the start-date at least by a week thus to make the schedule easier for Indian players ahead of the Australia tour. Virat Kohli and co will need to undergo a 14-day quarantine period when they land in Australia and the tournament concluding on November 15 would have been a dreadful for the players ahead of their tour.
It is predictable that with each and every club needing at least a month's time to train, the franchises will be leaving the country by August 20 which gives them four weeks’ time to prepare.
