IPL 2021 likely to resume in September in UAE: Report

The Board of Cricket control In India (BCCI) is likely to make an announcement regarding IPL 2021 on May 29 after the general meeting. The latest report from the Times of India suggests that remained of IPL 2021 is likely to be played in the United Arab Emirates between September and October. 

India’s five-Test series against England is scheduled to begin on August 4 and there is a nine-day gap between the second Test and the third Test. This report insists that BCCI is looking to reduce this gap for rescheduling IPL 2021.

BCCI will be looking to test relationship with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to see if the 41-day window reserved for the five Tests can be tweaked. A call on this will be made at the Special General Meeting (SGM).

If the board refrains from making any requests to the ECB and continues to plan the second half of IPL 2021 after the India series against England, it will have a 30-day window available – from September 15 to October 15 – to put a blueprint in place. Doubleheaders can be put in place over four weekends so that 16 matches can be completed in eight days. 

In case IPL 2021 takes place during September, then India is unlikely to get more T-20 games to prepare for the T-20 World Cup in October. BCCI was reportedly in talks with Cricket South Africa (CSA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for the bilateral T-20 series before the World Cup. White ball specialists in the Indian team will be touring Sri Lanka in July to get much-needed match practice for the World Cup.

Any decision regarding the T-20 World Cup is unlikely to be announced as the board is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the country and the state boards have been directed to keep the preparations going for the event also keeping the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in mind. BCCI has shortlisted nine venues for the event.