The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stakeholders held an Apex Council Meeting via video conferencing on July 17(Saturday). As per reports, UAE has emerged as the frontrunner to host the five-week training camp of Indian cricketers.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that BCCI has zeroed in on UAE as the host of IPL 2020. After a lot of deliberation on the fate of the cash-rich league, the apex body decided to take the league abroad due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in India.
BCCI finalises three venues to host training camp
If it happens, this will be the second time after 2014 UAE will host IPL. Moreover, the tournament is likely to run from September 26 to November 6 in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.
Although a framework has been jot down, IPL Governing Council meeting will take the final call. A BCCI official while talking to PTI said that UAE looks like the first-choice option for training camps. He feels with IPL 2020 taking place in that country, UAE is the best place.
“If the IPL is held in the UAE, then it only makes sense that the Indian cricketers train there before the tournament. They have a good infrastructure in place. UAE is the most likely choice for the IPL with India getting increasingly unsafe (due to COVID-19),” a BCCI official said.
“The other likely options are training camp in either Dharamsala or Ahmedabad (at the renovated Motera Stadium) with a bio-bubble in place. But the cases continue to increase in India, so UAE will be the safest option,” the official added.
Meanwhile, the official announcement is likely to come as early as next week. The International Cricket Council (ICC) will meet to give verdict on ICC T20 World Cup. The global event was scheduled to take place in Australia from October 18.
