The 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) will most likely start on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the final slated on November 8. While the IPL Governing Council will meet next week to chalk out the final details and approve the schedule, it is understood that the BCCI has informally intimated the franchises about the plan.
“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,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on Thursday.
The chances of the IPL taking place got a boost after the ICC’s decision to postpone the 2020 T20 World Cup, which was scheduled for October-November, in Australia owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. With that window freed up, the IPL final can take place on November 8 to give the Indian players enough time to quarantine for two weeks in Australia for the Test series scheduled to start on December 3 in Brisbane.
“The Indian team will have a mandatory quarantine of 14 days as per the Australian government rules. A delay would have sent the plans haywire,” the BCCI official said. “The best part is that 51 days is not at all a curtailed period and there will be much less double-headers. We could stick to original five double-headers in seven-week window.”
It is expected that with each and every team needing at least a month’s time to train, the IPL franchises will be leaving base by August 20 which gives them exactly four weeks’ time to prepare.
The IPL was originally scheduled to start at the end of March but the ongoing pandemic and the travel restrictions that were put in place by the Indian government, led to an indefinite postponement. With the rising cases in India, the BCCI also decided to hold the tournament in the UAE, finalising Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as the three main venues for 60 matches.
More to follow…
Source: ESPN Crickinfo