ICC has finally decided to postpone the ICC T20 World Cup owing to the COVID-19 restrictions. Consequently, IPL is all set to be played out in the window created by the postponement of the international event. Give the chaotic situation back home, BCCI has decided to host the league overseas in the UAE keeping the safety of all the stakeholders into consideration.
But playing in the UAE comes with its own sets of challenges. The number of COVID-19 cases is considerably lower in the Middle-East, but the belligerent weather will certainly affect the proceedings. Moreover, relatively bigger grounds will certainly assist the bowlers in some ways to stifle to flow of runs.
RCB might benefit if IPL happens in UAE – Aakash Chopra
Cricketer turned commentator, Aakash Chopra brought this out in the latest episode of his show AakashVani. The former India opener believes the bigger grounds will bring Royal Challengers Bangalore into play. They have some quality spinners in their ranks backed by star-studded batting unit.
He said, “Middle-East is known for its hot and humid weather conditions. Given the fact that almost all the players are returning to the competitive cricket after a span of more than 4 months, it will be a certainly be a test of fitness levels for all the players.
“In the UAE, grounds are relatively bigger and pitches relatively slower than the ones that we have back in India. This will give the bowlers some sort of breathing space that they had been longing for quite some time now.
In such a situation, teams with relatively weaker bowling-attacks might thrive in the 14th edition of the marquee league. For example, if you look at RCB, they have a golden opportunity to redeem themselves for they have a very strong batting line-up but not so satisfactory bowling-attack,” the former Indian cricketer added.
Earlier this week, BCCI had announced that IPL 2020 will be taking place in the UAE starting 26th September. Also, IPL Governing Council is expected to call for a meeting later this week in order to discuss the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) pertaining to the tournament.