Covid-19 could push the Indian Premier League (IPL) out of India to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) again after the year 2014 when it was done due to the Indian General Elections.
The Apex Council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was apprised of the challenges of holding IPL in India in the time of surging COVID-19 cases. “The Apex Council did not take any final decision. But from the discussions it appears very difficult with the rising (novel) coronavirus cases in the country. There are many factors to be considered like creating a bio secure bubble of international standards, flying international cricketers in India, finding facilities for training,” said a BCCI source. A virtual meeting took place Friday in which top admins too the call.
Covid -19 has been controlled much better in UAE. So far, there have been 56,422 cases with 337 deaths and 48,448 recoveries. India has over 1 million cases and more than 25000 deaths. Also, three venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will make it a lot easier to stage the 60-match competition. “Since Dubai is a frequent port of transit for international travel, flying in international cricketers will be a lot easier in Dubai, as opposed to India,” said the source.
The BCCI had originally wanted to conduct the IPL behind closed doors in limited venues and singled out Mumbai as the hub, but Mumbai turning into a COVID hotspot amidst rising cases made the proposition unfeasible.
In June, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly wrote to the state associations, stating the board was “optimistic” about the IPL taking place this year and “all possible options” were being worked out including playing in “empty stadiums”.
PNN/Agencies