BCCI Looking at Sept-Oct Window for Completion of IPL 2021: Report
BCCI has told franchises about the plan, informing them that it would need 25 days to complete the IPL.
The BCCI is hoping to be able to host the remainder of IPL 2021 in UAE between 18 September and 12 October.
If the BCCI goes ahead with the proposed dates, national boards and the CPL will have to look for new dates for their games in this period. It would also mean that the IPL would finish just a week before the T20 World Cup.
The board has also told the franchises about the said plan and informed them that it would need 25 days to complete the remaining tournament. The IPL had been indefinitely suspended on 4 May after players and staff tested COVID positive inside the bio-bubble.
The dates though are not finalised and are subject to the BCCI being able to convince other boards to move their games around to help player availability. However, it might be tougher to convince the West Indies board to change the dates of the CPL because of their packed international schedule.
There was talk of the IPL being played in UK too with the BCCI informally speaking to the ECB about changing the dates for the 5-match Test series against India, but even that is a tough prospect given The Hundred and England’s international commitments. The ECB too had said that the England players aren’t likely to be available for the remainder of the IPL.
With India continuing to suffer from the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI is not considering hosting the tournament in the country.
The T20 World Cup slated for October-November this year too might be held in UAE due to the pandemic.
(With Inputs from Cricinfo)
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