The 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is to be played in the United Arab Emirates. The IPL debut is now three weeks away, with the first match to be played on 19 September. The schedule of this 60-match tournament has not been announced yet, leaving the franchise teams somewhat upset. Fans are also eagerly awaiting the IPL schedule. This time the IPL is being played in the UAE due to the Kovid-19 epidemic.
The franchise teams were told that the schedule would be revealed by August 20, but the schedule has not been revealed yet. Indian players from all teams have reached Dubai from 20-21 August. The UAE has seen some increase in corona cases and mandatory checking at the border has been intensified, making it longer than before to travel to Abu Dhabi. Members of the IPL Governing Council are understood to be in the UAE and are in talks with officials of the Emirates Cricket Board.
In the UAE, IPL matches will be held in three cities – Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Out of 56 group matches of the tournament, 21-21 matches are to be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi while 14 matches are to be held in Sharjah. Abu Dhabi is the base of two teams Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in the IPL which may require both teams to travel more. Officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL Governing Council have not commented on this.
