The BCCI is preparing to conduct the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2021 in September-October, an announcement pertinent to which can be made after its Special General Meeting on May 29, stated a Cricbuzz report.
The IPL 2021 was suspended indefinitely on May 4 after the news of multiple COVID-19 positive cases inside different team’s bubbles. But the tournament can now resume in the Middle East “around September 16-20 and finish on October 9-10”, mentioned the Cricbuzz report, adding “the timeline pits the IPL against the upcoming T20 World Cup which begins October 18, with both tournaments competing for time and space.”
But the Emirates Cricket Board in UAE, which is increasingly becoming the likely host for the T20 World Cup due to the devastating effects of the pandemic in India, has reportedly assured the BCCI that it will be willing to “make flexible provisions for the IPL scheduling”.
However, apart from the COVID-19 restrictions and quarantine regulations, what would also make the rescheduling for IPL 2021 a challenge is the ICC requirement to procure the grounds ten days prior to the T20 World Cup.
In that case, Cricbuzz reported,
“the plan is to schedule the matches in a transitive manner at the three available venues — Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. It will ensure that the league is concentrated at one venue for the final few days and the other two venues can be handed over to the ICC.”
In the cramped new window for IPL 2021, the BCCI is expected to schedule multiple double-headers, with most of them likely to be planned for the start of October, keeping in mind the hot and humid weather in the Middle East.
BCCI’s other major concern is the availability of foreign stars, who have international commitments coinciding with the potential new window for the IPL 2021 as part of preparations for the T20 World Cup India.
And though the players from the Caribbean and South Africa are expected to fly across to the UAE on time, those from Australia and England might not find it as easy considering their respective tours to the Asian subcontinent.
A clearer picture of the availability of some prominent names from abroad is expected in the coming months. But the main focus for the BCCI right now is hosting the remainder of the IPL 2021 and avoiding enormous financial losses.
Initially, it was believed that July, where India wasn’t earlier expected to play any cricket, would provide the new window for the rest of IPL 2021. Those thoughts were, however, dispelled by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly who, in an interview, confirmed that India will travel to Sri Lanka for a white-ball series featuring 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is.
“No,”
Ganguly had told Sportstar when asked whether the remaining 31 games of IPL 2021 can be held in July.
“India is supposed to go to Sri Lanka for three ODIs and five T20Is. There are lots of organisational hazards like 14-day quarantine. It can’t happen in India. This quarantine is tough to handle. Too early to say how we can find a slot to complete the IPL.”
India’s first-choice Test picks will remain in England from the start of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in June till the end of the five-Test series versus England in September.
For the Sri Lanka series, a second-string white-ball squad will be sent across to the island nation. The series will allow some of the players on the fringes to strengthen their cases ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is likely to be moved outside of India.
