UAE Is Favourite To Host The 2020 Edition Of IPL:
The United Arab Emirates, along with Ahmedabad and Dharamsala being the other choices addressed at the BCCI Apex Council meeting, emerged as the top contender to host India’s training camp. With India’s COVID-19 caseload approaching one million marks, UAE is in favor of hosting this Indian Premier League edition, scheduled to take place between the end of September and mid-November.
Indian cricketers, who have not played since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, may well resume their training in Dubai, the probability of which would increase dramatically if the UAE host the cash-rich tournament. The problem was addressed at the Virtual Apex Council meeting on Friday, but the IPL Governing Council would take the final call.
“When the IPL takes place in the UAE then the Indian cricketers practice there before the competition makes sense too. They have there a good network.UAE is the most likely option for the IPL with India being increasingly unsafe(because of COVID-19),’ a BCCI official told a leading media house on anonymity conditions.
“The other possible choices are training camps with a bio-bubble in place, either in Dharamsala or Ahmedabad (at the renovated Motera stadium. But the cases in India continue to grow, so UAE will be the safest choice,” the official added. Sri Lanka has also agreed to host the IPL, in addition to UAE. Owing to the general elections in India the UAE partially staged the tournament in 2014.
The BCCI has zeroed in on September-early November window for the T20 extravaganza but for that, the ICC needs to announce the cancelation of the T20 World Cup, scheduled for October-November in Australia. The decision may come as early as next week when the ICC board meets on Monday. BCCI secretary Jay Shah, whose tenure has reportedly ended, attended the meeting.
“His involvement was okay with the legal team of the BCCI and that’s why he was there,” said a source.
The term of BCCI chairman Sourav Ganguly ends on July 27 but the board has sought an extension from the Supreme Court for him, the secretary, and joint secretary Jayesh George.
