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IPL 2021 has been moved to UAE, confirms BCCI

Mumbai - The tournament dates are yet to be finalised.

Published: Sun 30 May 2021, 3:46 AM

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The Indian Premier League, suspended as a new coronavirus wave hit India, will be finished in the UAE in September and October, India’s national cricket board said Saturday.

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The tournament dates are yet to be finalised.

However, according to a previous report, the tournament may tentatively resume on September 18 or 19 with as many as 10 double-headers expected to be played during a three-week window.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India also said it would ask the global governing body for more time to make a decision on whether the Twenty20 World Cup should be held in India in October and November.

The league, which was being played in India, was suspended in early May after many players tested positive.

"The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and well-being of all the stakeholders in mind," the cricket board had said earlier while suspending the tournament in India.

About 160,000 people have died since April 1 in a devastating wave that has seen hospitals overwhelmed.

There are also fears that India could be hit by yet another surge in cases later this year.

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The BCCI said that it was moving the remaining matches to the UAE — which staged all of last year’s IPL — because of the monsoon season and did not mention the pandemic.

The board said a special general meeting had “unanimously agreed” for the remaining matches to be held in the UAE “considering the monsoon season in India in the months of September-October this year.”

The monsoon season is generally considered to run from June to mid-September.

The World Cup is also due to be held in India from October but it is also at risk from the pandemic. The tournament is due to be discussed by the ICC next Tuesday.

The BCCI said that the general meeting “authorised the office bearers to seek an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.”

With inputs from AFP



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