It will be a full-fledged IPL 2020 comprising 60 games, most likely in UAE: Brijesh Patel

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI, in order to avoid heavy losses, had earlier stated about hosting the much-awaited IPL 2020 in the latter part of the year. With T20 World Cup’s postponement on Monday, the Indian board is all set to utilize the September-November window and shift the IPL to UAE this year.

Post ICC’s announcement regarding the postponement of this year’s T20 World Cup, the IPL Governing Council is planning to meet in a week or 10 days’ time and prepare the IPL 2020 roadmap. The Indian board will also have to seek permission from the government to go ahead with their plans.

The IPL GC will meet within a week or 10 days: Brijesh Patel

“The IPL GC will meet within a week or 10 days and all decisions (including the final schedule) will be taken there. As of now, the plan is to have a full-fledged IPL comprising 60 games and most likely in the UAE,” Patel said on Tuesday as quoted by The Print.

When asked about the main challenges in conducting the event amid the pandemic, Patel said– “Just the operational side of it. Whether you do it here or outside, it doesn’t matter (with no crowds).”

The thirteenth edition of the IPL was initially scheduled to commence from March 29. However, the COVID-19 debacle was the reason behind the indefinite postponement of the tournament. Aiming to host the cash-rich league this year, the BCCI has identified UAE as a viable option. However, the board is yet to make an official announcement yet.

The franchisees had already been working on their plans for the IPL even before the ICC announcement. However, the majority of Indian players haven’t had the opportunity to train themselves amid the pandemic. IPL franchises will need at least three to four weeks to get their players back in rhythm. Meanwhile, the overseas starts are likely to be flown directly to the UAE from their respective countries.

“Our players will need at least three to four weeks of training, if not more. We will finalise all our plans once the BCCI announces the dates. It looks like the IPL will be in the UAE and we are ready for that,” pointed out a franchise owner.