Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel on Monday confirmed that the 13th edition of the premier T20 tournament will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A full-fledged IPL consisting of 60 matches is on the cards and the league is expected to be completed inside 44 days between September 26 to November 08 – a window already zeroed in by the BCCI.
#IPL2020 in #UAE is the choice of @BCCI says #BrijeshPatel, provided the government of India gives the green signal. It will be a full-fledged tournament with 60 matches.
— Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) July 21, 2020
While the official dates are yet to be decided, the BCCI wants to finish the tournament early in November so that the Indian players can leave on time for their Test series against Australia which is scheduled to begin from December 03.
IPL set to be played in UAE pending government clearance, dates yet to be finalised – IPL chairman Brijesh Patel
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 21, 2020
“We have written to the government seeking permission to host the tournament in UAE,” Patel told Cricbuzz.
“The dates have not been finalised as yet and will be decided at the (next) IPL GC, which will be held in the next seven or ten days.”
When asked if IPL 2020 will be played behind closed doors, Patel said the decision “depends on the UAE government”. Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi will be hosting the matches. In 2014, the first phase of IPL, consisting of 20 matches was played in the UAE, due to the general elections in India.
Patel further revealed that the option of hosting the tournament in India hasn’t been eliminated as yet. The decision will be taken in the upcoming IPL Governing Council meeting.
