(Aditya Shaw, Intern Journalist): This year the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played in the UAE from 19 September. The final of the league will be held on 8 November. Sources associated with the BCCI gave this information to the news agency on Thursday. It could be stamped at the IPL Governing Council meeting next week. The BCCI has informed the franchisees about this plan.
The BCCI official told the news agency that this time the league will end in 51 days. This will benefit franchisees, broadcasters, and other stakeholders. There were speculations that this time the IPL will start from 26 September. But the BCCI has started preparations to have it done a week before, keeping in mind the Australia tour to be held later this year.
All teams will leave for UAE on 20 August
Due to the league in the UAE and Corona, all teams will arrive there a month in advance. So that the players can adapt themselves according to the weather and atmosphere there. According to the information, all the franchises are preparing to reach there on 20 August.
Team India to tour Australia in November-December
India has to play a 4-Test series against Australia in November-December. According to Australian government regulations, the Indian team will have to stay there in Quarantine for 14 days. In such a situation, if the IPL stretches longer, then the schedule of the Australia tour will also have to be changed.
IPL Governing Council meeting will be held next week
Here, the IPL Governing Council will meet next week. There are three big agenda to be discussed in this meeting. This includes shifting leagues to the UAE, creating Corona Guidelines for franchisees, and broadcaster demand.
- Shifting the league to UAE, setting the venue and number of matches
An official associated with the franchise told the news agency that the BCCI will inform the Emirates Cricket Board as soon as the government approves to conduct the league in UAE. The board will not shorten the tournament. As the old format, there will be 60 matches. Each team will play 14–14 matches. In the old schedule, only two matches were to be held on 5 Sundays. According to the new schedule, only 5 days in a 7-week window will have double headers (two bouts a day). - Guidelines and training for franchisees will be discussed.
The UAE has three cricket stadiums, which may have IPL matches. It has Dubai International Stadium, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium, and Sharjah Ground. According to the information, the BCCI can hire ICC Academy for training teams. The ICC Academy has two full-size cricket grounds. It has an outdoor conditioning area of 5700 square feet in addition to 38 turf and 6 indoor pitches. Apart from this, the Academy also has a Physiotherapy and Medicine Center. In such a situation, the teams who stay in Dubai will be able to train at the ICC Academy by paying fees. Apart from this, teams living in Abu Dhabi can also practice here, because the distance from Dubai to here is only one and a half hours. However, not many nets bowlers will be seen on the field in that case. - Broadcasters will also talk on demand
The broadcaster will speak at the IPL Governing Council meeting. The league’s broadcaster Star Sports has acquired IPL rights for 16,347 crores. The timing of the match on the night may be discussed in the meeting. It will be decided whether to match the match according to Indian time at 8 pm (6.30 PM Dubai time) or half an hour earlier.
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