Delhi Capitals' captain Shreyas Iyer called the news of IPL 2020 happening “the best news he had heard in a long time”. The IPL 13 edition was supposed to start from March 29, but the Coronavirus pandemic led to BCCI postponing it indefinitely.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Australia to admit that they cannot host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup due to rising cases and the world cricket body postponed the event to a later date, opening up a window for the BCCI to hold the IPL, which will take place in the UAE, starting September 19.
Given that India is also seeing a steep rise in Coronavirus cases, BCCI found it safe to move the entire tournament to UAE, given that they have had relatively low cases and the situation is under control.
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"In the challenging times that our world is going through, there's no doubt that the news of the IPL happening is one of the best things we've all heard in a long time,” Iyer said.
"We are definitely going to miss our Delhi fans in the stadium; they were a crucial part of our success last year. I can't wait to assemble with my teammates soon, especially those who are new to the Delhi Capitals' side, and give our very best in making the upcoming season a truly memorable one," he added.
Shreyas Iyer, who was named captain of the Delhi Capitals team in 2018, led the franchise to a commendable third-place finish in 2019.
"There is no doubt that the news of the IPL taking place has come as a breath of fresh air for all of us. The fact that the IPL is going to be conducted amidst such challenging times is another testament to the BCCI and to IPL's global standing as one of the top leagues amongst all sports in the world,” DC co-owner Parth Jindal said.
The tournament will see 60 matches played over 53 days, including 10 doubleheaders at three venues- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.
"The number of people who have expressed delight is remarkable and we all at DC are looking forward to giving it our all for our fans to bring the trophy to Delhi this season. IPL truly has the power to lift the morale of our country as we fight the COVID pandemic and I, for one, am delighted that IPL 2020 is being conducted," he added.
Dhiraj Malhotra, CEO, Delhi Capitals, said that the upcoming season of the cash-rich T20 league will be a significant one.
"It's never an easy decision to have to host an Indian Premier League (season) outside India. However, given the current circumstances, I believe this is going to be a very significant edition of the tournament, not just for the league, but for the sport of cricket itself,” he said.
"The UAE has played host to some IPL matches earlier, and I'm sure that experience will come in handy, even though the challenges will be very different this time around. I'm confident all the measures will be taken for 100 percent safe conduct of the tournament," he said.
(IANS inputs)
