There is no official announcement of the IPL 2020 schedule yet, even though the teams have already arrived in UAE.
Three cities – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah – are expected to host the 60 IPL games from September 19 to November 10.
But as per a latest report in The Hindu, there is a degree of uncertainty over the availability of Abu Dhabi due to spike in COVID-19 cases. Therefore, the BCCI hasn’t unveiled the schedule as of now.
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Because of rising cases, Abu Dhabi’s regional authorities have made a rapid test mandatory at entry point. This implies that the teams, broadcast crew and other officials, who will be based out of Dubai, will have to incur an additional cost of AED 50.
The BCCI is now exploring ways to find a solution. While there were talks of excluding Abu Dhabi as a venue, on Tuesday (August 25) it emerged that the board will limit the number of matches there.
“It could be a case of two teams playing home and away games back to back, similar to 2011,” said an IPL insider. “As of now, Abu Dhabi could host a few matches only in the first half.”
At present, six teams are staying in Dubai while Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders are based in Abu Dhabi. Teams such as Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab might resume their training at Sharjah and ICC Academy in Dubai from Thursday (August 27).
Earlier, it was revealed that officials of BCCI's state units won't be able to attend "at least the beginning" of the IPL because of the strict bio-secure bubble in place for the tournament.
But board secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday (August 25) informed that some of the travel restrictions will be relaxed by the business end of the tournament.
"While I am confident that we would be able to deliver a memorable tournament, I will be approaching the start of the tournament with a heavy heart as your absence would render the opening incomplete," Shah wrote in an email to state units, which is in possession of PTI.
