/betbarter/media/agency_attachments/3YXcMKaocLoKtpo5Mw2o.png)
/betbarter/media/post_banners/98ixozqsCXypE6rhyLqr.jpg)
IPL
The 14th season of the Indian Premier League is going to commence in the United Arab Emirates from the third week of September. The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended on May 4 due to an increasing number of Covid-19 cases. The BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla has confirmed the news after the Special General Meeting. The tournament had to be postponed indefinitely due to the COVID cases inside the bio-secure bubble of different franchises. Some of the foreign players have also contracted the virus.
After hosting the England series this year, the Indian cricket board was confident about successfully conducting the IPL 2021. However, after the conclusion of 29 games, the tournament was hit hard by the dreadful virus. Apart from Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier testing positive, more COVID-19 cases were reported in the bio bubble. After the emergence of new Covid-19 cases, the BCCI decided to suspend the league for the time being.
BCCI likely to take some more time before finalizing a window for the IPL
After the postponement of the tournament, the entire Australian contingent had travelled to the Maldives due to a travel ban to Australia from India. Thirty-eight members of the Australian delegation were staying in the Maldives. The Australian cricketers had to stay in the Maldives for a few days as their government banned all Indian entries, including their own citizens. Overall, 29 games were conducted in the 14th season of the Indian Premier League. Thus, with 31 games remaining, the BCCI will need a small window of around three weeks to complete the tournament. Just like 2020, the remaining IPL games will be spread across three venues. This includes Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
While the venue for IPL 2021 has been confirmed, the Indian cricket board is likely to take some more time before finalizing a window for the IPL. A source aware of the progress from the SGM stated that the BCCI is looking for a 25-day window to host the remaining matches of IPL 2021. That window is most likely to in September-October, weeks before the T20 World Cup. However, irrespective of the T20 World Cup venue, the forthcoming few months will see a lot of cricketing action. This includes several bilateral series and franchise leagues that will commence in the build-up to the ICC event.