Amid the anticipation, IPL Governing Council Chairman Brijesh Patel on Friday (July 24) confirmed that the 13th edition of Indian Premier League will be played in UAE from September 19 to November 8.

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It is not the first time that UAE will be hosting the cash-rich tournament. In 2014, first 20 games of the IPL were staged in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah because of the general elections in India.

With this development, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vice-captain is pretty elated as he feels one of the biggest plus points of having the IPL in UAE is the absence of logistics of air travel.

“We have very good memories of playing there for about three weeks in 2014, while I have also played some international matches there before. We don’t have a logistic problem there and hence the players will get a lot of time for recovery,” Raina told Gulf News.

“As a player, we need to look after our own body and I can speak from experience that it helps the cricketers stay fresh for the next game,” he added.

One of the main reasons IPL has settled for UAE is that three venues - Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah - can be accessed by road travel.

Further sharing his experience of playing in the IPL 2014 season, Raina said: “I remember the stadia and the hospitality there. The backing of the rulers there to stage the first leg in 2014 had been great and I expect it to be no different this time. I am also a big fan of the local cuisine there.”

While the international cricket resumed with the England-West Indies Test series earlier this month, Indian cricketers are yet to hit the ground running with a proper camp in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Before featuring in a competitive match, players will have to regain an optimum level of fitness so that their bodies are ready to go through the grind. Moreover, batsmen and bowlers will have to hone their primary skills.

Asked how long would the players need to be match-ready, Raina confirmed that CSK plan to hit their strides a month before the start of the tournament.

“Let me tell you we are coming there a month ahead of the tournament - it should give us enough time to get used to the pitches and conditions. We will get used to the air of UAE by the time the tournament starts,” the southpaw remarked.