IPL
MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma with the IPL trophy (Credits: Twitter)

The BCCI has finally got the green light from the Indian government to conduct this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE. The thirteenth edition of the tournament was originally scheduled to be played in March – May. However, the BCCI had to suspend the league indefinitely in the light of the pandemic.

Last month, the ICC called off this year’s T20 World Cup which paved the way for BCCI to host the IPL this year. T20 World Cup was scheduled to be held in October – November and the window will now be used by the BCCI for the IPL.

The BCCI maintained that hosting the tournament in India was its topmost priority. However, the alarming situation in the country compelled them to explore other venues before they settled with UAE. Last month, the board had sent a letter of acceptance to the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and was awaiting the government’s approval.

And the Indian board has got the government’s permission to move the tournament out of the country. The details have come after the IPL Governing Council met on Sunday.

IPL, IPL 2020, Closed Doors, Government
IPL Trophy. Photo by: Deepak Malik /SPORTZPICS for BCCI

All the franchises will leave for UAE after August 26 and will use chartered planes to fly both domestic and overseas players. No crowds will be allowed at the venues in the UAE in the initial phase of the tournament but a limited number of fans may be allowed during the latter stages, subject to UAE government approval. At present, the BCCI is busy in preparing a thorough Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) manual.

Dates confirmed for IPL 2020:

IPL 2020 will have a 53-day window as opposed to the original 57-day schedule. The tournament will start on September 19 and end on November 10. Previous reports suggested that the tournament would end on November 8.

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Last month, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel had confirmed that the tournament will be played across all 3 venues in the UAE — Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. On the other hand, the franchises will be allowed to take a call on where they would want to host their training camps.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Covid-19 Replacements, 24-Members Squads And Everything You Need To Know About This Year’s Tournament

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