BCCI on August 2 (Sunday) got the final clearance from the government to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in the UAE. They had to move the tournament out of India due to the spike in the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country. Soon after final confirmation, BCCI has intimated that the franchises can leave for UAE after August 20.
Reports emerged that Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are planning to reach the UAE earlier. Both franchises, who played out an exciting final last year, were looking for some extra training before the tournament began. Chennai and Mumbai thought of landing in Abu Dhabi by August 10 or 12. However, they will have to suspend their plans as of now.
IPL franchises can leave after August 20 – BCCI
After the governing council meeting on Sunday, they have sent a mail to all the stakeholders stating their decisions. The governing council has clearly mentioned that the teams can only leave after August 20.
“We have been informed by a mail from the IPL GC that we can leave for UAE after August 20. So, there is no question of anyone going there before that. The diktat is pretty clear here,” the official said to IANS.
Furthermore, the council took a couple of landmark decisions during the meeting on Sunday. As per reports, the postponed the final for two days to November 10. This is the first time in the history of IPL, a final will take place in a weekday. The organisers have also preponed the timings from 8:00 PM IST to 7:30 PM IST for evening games. And there will be only 10 double-headers throughout the season.
The council has also informed the franchises that a squad will consist only of 24 members due to prevailing situations. However, the Emirates Cricket Board will take a final call on the presence of crowds. They are planning to host 30-50 percent of the crowds after confirmation from the government.