The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced that the remaining matches of VIVO Indian Premier League 2021 season will be completed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the months of September-October this year. The decision was taken at a Special General Meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume IPL.
The BCCI SGM further authorised the office bearers to seek an extension of time from the ICC (International Cricket Council) to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
The IPL 2021 was suspended this month due to COVID-19 cases inside the tournament's bio-secure environment. BCCI secretary Jay Shah had issued a note to state bodies, calling for a special general meeting for 'Discussion on the upcoming cricket season in view of the pandemic situation prevailing in India’.
The remaining IPL games are expected to be played in 20 or 22 days. There could be a large number of double-headers, so as to finish the tournament quickly. There is a likelihood that many international stars may give the tournament a miss.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already said that its top star players won't compromise with the national team's international calendar. England's Test players like Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, and Sam Curran may not be available since they have limited-overs series in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Australia's limited overs stars too, will be busy with international commitments in July (West Indies) and August (Bangladesh) and they will have a short rest period ahead of the T20 World Cup, which begins in mid-October, as well as a busy season Down Under that includes the Ashes.
With IANS inputs