The postponed Indian Premier League (IPL) will resume tentatively on September 18 or 19 in the UAE, said a senior BCCI official on Tuesday.
The final might be held on October 9 or 10. The three-week window will be enough for the league to complete its remaining 31 games for the season, a win-win scenario for all the primary stakeholders including the BCCI, franchises and broadcasters.
The IPL 2021 was postponed on May 4 after multiple COVID-19 cases inside its bio-bubble came to light.
“The BCCI has spoken to all the stakeholders and the likely start could be between September 18th to 20th. Since September 18 is a Saturday and 19 a Sunday, it is more likely that you would want to re-start it on a weekend date,” said the official on the condition of anonymity.
“Similarly, October 9th or 10th will be the final as it’s a weekend. We are finalising the itinerary and there will be 10 double headers and seven evening matches along with four main games (two qualifiers, one eliminator and the final), which completes the list of 31 matches,” the official added.
As per a report, the players will undergo a bubble to bubble transfer after the England tour, and quarantine in UAE for three days.
Since the T20 World Cup will start within a week or 10 days after completion of the IPL, the SA series can only be held at a later date.
