Breaking News: IPL 2020 To Start On 19th September, Final On 10th November, Matches To Have A 7:30 PM Start

The Board of Control for Cricket in India [BCCI] has decided in its latest IPL governing council meeting that the 13th edition of the cash-rich league will take place in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] from September 19 to November 10.

The IPL governing council was scheduled to meet on Sunday [August 02] to finalize the details of the tournament.

While the 13th edition will witness a total of 10 double-headers, the timings of the night games has been changed to 07:30 PM IST.

According to IANS, a BCCI official stated that it was decided to take the IPL into another week, considering the strict protocol and 10 double-headers that have been planned.

“We have decided to go up till November 10 and so the final will be held on a weekday for the first time. Also, to ensure that there are enough gaps between games considering the traveling and the biosecure environment and keeping all these things in mind, we will have 10 doubleheaders this season,” the BCCI official was quoted as saying by IANS.

BCCI have got the prior approval from the central government for staging IPL 13 in Dubai

When asked about the change in timing of the matches, the official said the governing council has decided to bring forward the start of night games by 30 minutes.

“We have decided to bring it forward by 30 minutes from the regular time of the IPL which is 8 p.m. for evening games and we will start at 7:30 instead.” the official added.

Recently there have been reports that the Emirates Cricket Board is considering filling the stadiums by 30 to 50 percent. When asked whether the crowds will be present at the stadiums, the official said that the decision will be taken after consultation with the ECB.

“It would be great to have some fans come in as that would boost the morale of the players for sure. But what needs to be remembered is that the safety of the players is a priority. So, these are things we will discuss with the ECB at the right time,” the official said.

The tournament will initially be played behind closed doors but depending on the situations, fans might be allowed in some capacity later on. All the eight teams will leave for UAE post-August 26.

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