Rest of IPL 2021 matches to be played in UAE: BCCI
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday said the remaining matches of the the Indian Premier League (IPL) for this season will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“The decision was taken at a special general meeting held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume IPL,” the BCCI said in a statement.
The matches are scheduled to be held during September-October as indicated by the board. The decision to shift the tournament to a different country was taken “considering the monsoon season in India during the months of September-October,” BCCI said. News agency PTI reported that the matches are likely to be played between September 18 and October 10.
On May 4, the BCCI announced the suspension of IPL in India after few participants contracted the coronavirus. The tournament had commenced on April 9 and was earlier scheduled to end on May 30. This is the second year in a row that the IPL will be held in the UAE. The entire season of IPL 2020 was played in the country.
The decision to resume IPL should spell relief for official broadcaster Star India that banks on the advertising revenues earned from the game to recoup the heavy investments it made to acquire the IPL media rights.
