It has been almost two months since the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the second phase of the IPL 2021 will begin in UAE but the franchises are still in turmoil about the availability of the foreign players and official dates of the remaining 31 matches.
The BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has informed the media that the remaining 31 games will be played between September 19 and October 15. India’s cricket governing board is yet to announce the news to the franchises officially which makes them clueless about the logistics and plans with just two months left.
Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Vishwanathan told InsideSport that they are concerned about the flight ban. They are waiting for the BCCI to announce the official dates and the availability of the foreign players.
“We are not going to UAE yet. We are still waiting for BCCI’s official communication on the dates and only then we will go. Till then, we will be doing everything virtually,” Kasi Viswanathan said.
As franchises are waiting anxiously for the official communication on dates, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal told InsideSport that the dates will be announced shortly as it is still in the planning stage.
As franchises are eagerly waiting for the official confirmation on dates, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal told InsideSport that the official dates will be announced soon. “We are not announcing the dates as yet. It will come in a few days’ time,” he said.
It has been understood that the BCCI has already set up their office in UAE. One of the BCCI team administration officials will stay in Dubai and will work closely with Emirates Cricket Board and local authorities.
The scenario of phase two has been complicated due to the Dubai Expo from October 1 to March 31 as the desert city expects roughly 25 million visitors and because of which the availability of hotels could be a problem. Meanwhile, UAE’s flight ban on India has increased problems as the franchise officials are not able to travel to the country to plan logistics. The flight ban is about to end on July 15, but the franchises are still waiting for an official announcement from the BCCI.
Another official has revealed that the lack of official communication from BCCI has affected their plans as they are not being able to book the hotels and have been working based on the tentative dates. They are concerned that they might have to pay a higher amount due to Dubai Expo.
“We still don’t have any official intimation as yet from the BCCI. Unless we get an official note from BCCI, I cannot comment. Whatever we have heard, it is through the media. We are in a state of preparedness. We don’t have a problem. Whichever dates BCCI declares, we will be fine by that. Everything is being checked, hotels are being finalised, grounds have been finalised for practice. All of that is done. We are prepared. As soon we get an official confirmation, we will make our move,” a Punjab Kings official told InsideSport earlier this month.