IPL 2020 likely To Be Played In UAE

New Delhi : After a long wait the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has more or less zeroed in on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 if the International Cricket Council (ICC) postpones the T20 World Cup, scheduled for October-November.

The decision comes after the BCCI Apex Council meeting which was held via teleconference on Friday. The roadmap for IPL 2020 which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic was among the primary item in an 11-point agenda marked for the meeting.

IPL was suspended until further notice after it missed the April-May deadline due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, told India Today, that the board is keen on hosting the T20 tournament if the ICC decides to postpone the T20 World Cup.

Ganguly had said India would be considered as the first-choice venue for hosting the IPL but the BCCI president also maintained that players and stakeholders’ safety is a primary concern and that a suitable decision would be taken accordingly.

Apart from the reduced quarantine period, the BCCI also believes that the UAE, being a travel hub, is well connected. Medical facilities and previous experience of hosting the IPL may work in the UAE’s favour.

he BCCI is now targetting a shortened window of 5 to 6 weeks for IPL 2020 between September and early November, provided the T20 World Cup is postponed.