The most highly awaited Indian Premier League is all set to start from September 19 and the matches will be played in the UAE this year. The tournament will be played behind closed doors and the final is scheduled to be played on November 8, the BCCI sources revealed.
The top officials at the BCCI are also scheduled to discuss the complete schedule along with the final details. The approved scheduled will only then be released for the franchises and then the fans.
“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” an insider of the BCCI told PTI on Thursday.
As per the reports, the players with their respective franchises will leave for UAE on August 20 and follow the mandated 14 days of quarantine.
BCCI is finally moving forward with the Indian Premier League after the ICC officially announced the postponement of the T20 World Cup to the next year. That has enabled the Indian Board to occupy the September-November window after Australia declared the inability to host the grand event this year.
“The Indian team will have a mandatory quarantine of 14 days as per Australian government rules. A delay would have sent the plans haywire.
The best part is that 51 days is not at all a curtailed period and there will be much fewer doubleheaders. We could stick to the original five doubleheaders in the seven-week window,” the BCCI official further stated.
The tournament will be conducted in its original full-fledged manner with 60 games taking place in 51 days. And the BCCI along with Dubai Sports City will make all the necessary arrangements of bio-security before staging the entire event.
