IPL 2020 could be held entirely in UAE: Report

Tags: IPL 2020, UAE

Published on: Jul 19, 2020

The 2020 edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) could be held entirety in the UAE if all things fall into place. According to ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI is looking at a September 26 to November 7 window. However, things are likely to be finalised after the ICC takes a decision on the postponement of the 2020 T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in Australia from October 18 to November 15.

The ICC Board is likely to convene on July 20 to take a call on the T20 World Cup being held this year. Meanwhile, the ESPNcricinfo report further states that the BCCI has approached the Indian government, and has sought permission for the event to be held in UAE.

While the BCCI would still prefer the IPL to be held in India, the same seems highly unlikely in the wake of the Coronavirus that has ravaged India. The country is third on the list of nations with most COVID-19 cases, having officially registered over 26,000 deaths.

The IPL was initially scheduled to be held from March 2020. However, the pandemic forced a postponement till April, and with the rising number of cases, the tournament was put on hold indefinitely.

Last month, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had stated that he remained optimistic about the tournament going ahead, and that all possible options were being explored. The board was even okay with playing in front of empty stadiums. But, COVID-19 numbers just refused to subside.

If the tournament is held in the UAE, it would be the second time the IPL would take place in the middle-east. The first 20 games of IPL 2014 were held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah as the general elections were taking place in India.

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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