IPL 2020: IPL gets waivers from Abu Dhabi government; tournament likely to have no crowds

The IPL 13 schedule is expected to come out in a few days time.

In what can only be good news for the fans of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) have acquired required waivers from the Abu Dhabi government, clearing the way for the release of the schedule of the upcoming IPL 2020.

As per reports in Mumbai Mirror, the Abu Dhabi government has agreed to grant a partial relaxation in the 14-day quarantine requirement and make an exception for the IPL.

This means that the IPL schedule may come in the next few days unless the BCCI wants to wait for further developments in the CSK camp, which saw 13 members testing positive for the Coronavirus, including two Indian players.

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“We have obtained all necessary permissions for the IPL matches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. The teams can travel and they need not be quarantined. Of course, those coming from outside may have to undergo quarantine but those who are already there need not worry over the travel,” an ECB official told Mirror.

The BCCI is also contemplating postponing the Chennai franchise’s first match by a week, to give them enough time to practice. Meanwhile, CSK officials have said that they are ready to play the first game, which is the norm in which last year’s champions and runners-up should be playing the first game of the tournament.

“That is a BCCI decision. The COVID cases in our teams are mostly among the social-media handlers. We will be ready to play the first game if asked. We have been told that the schedule will be out in the first week (of September), we are expecting the dates to be out in the next few days,” said KS Viswanathan, the CEO of the franchise.

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While there is no change expected in the format of the IPL 2020, which is supposed to see 60 games in a 53-day period, there is no crowd expected to be present in the stadiums during the entire length of the IPL this time.

“We have no information on the change of format or any such thing. The BCCI has not communicated to us. As for the crowd, the BCCI wants matches held behind closed doors and we believe it will be that way,” the ECB official said.

The recent rise in COVID cases in the UAE is discouraging the organizers from allowing crowds inside the stadiums.

(Mumbai Mirror inputs)