Dubai: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly landed here Wednesday to oversee preparations for a bio-secure IPL beginning September 19. The BCCI president is keen that the tournament goes off without a glitch. Hence Ganguly decided to arrive here 10 days before IPL-2020 starts.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening match of the T20 event. The tournament has been moved to the UAE due to the rising COVID-19 cases in India.
“My first flight in 6 months to dubai for IPL…crazy life changes,” Ganguly posted on his Instagram handle ahead of his departure with a picture. He is seen wearing a mask and face shield, part of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) while flying amid the pandemic. Ganguly will be in quarantine for the next six days and is expected to be in the UAE till September 23.
The BCCI was able to create a window for the IPL following the postponement of the T20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled for October-November. The BCCI would have faced a revenue loss of close to Rs 4000 crore if the tournament, which usually takes place in April-May, had not got the go ahead.
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel is among the other key officials who are already here.
The tournament, despite its strict health safety measures, has already endured instances of contingent members testing positive for the dreaded virus.
CSK have been the worst affected with 13 of their members, including two players, in quarantine after testing positive. Fans will not be allowed inside stadiums when the league starts but some crowd might be approved in the later stages of the tournament after a review of the COVID-19 situation.
The event will be played at three venues – Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.