BCCI President Sourav Ganguly is currently in UAE inspecting the preparations for the upcoming IPL 2020, which will be played at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah in a bio-secure environment. The opening match of the tournament will see CSK taking on MI on September 19, while the final will be played on November 10.
Sharjah is one of the most historic grounds in the world, hosting over 220 ODI matches and has seen many encounters featuring arch-rivals India and Pakistan. Ganguly visited the new-look stadium as part of his inspection, along with IPL chairman Brijesh Patel, former IPL chief Rajeev Shukla, and COO Hemang Amin, and officials from Emirates Cricket Board on Monday.
Sharjah likely to host the Women’s T20 challenge matches
He shared photos from his visit to Sharjah, however, fans noted that in one of the photos, something was blurred in the background. On close inspection, it was a hoarding featuring Pakistani players, namely Rashid Latif and Javed Miandad, holding a trophy after winning a tournament.
Here is the photo shared by Ganguly on his Instagram:
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium will host 12 matches till the league stage in IPL 2020. Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will meet in the 1st match of the tournament at the historic venue on September 22. It will host an afternoon game on October 4 wherein Mumbai Indians take on Sunrisers Hyderabad.
IPL 2020: BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly impressed with new-look Sharjah Cricket Stadium ahead of IPL 13
Here is the photo of Pakistani cricketers which was blurred:
BCCI and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13, due to deteriorating political relations between India and Pakistan over time.
PCB officials and former Pakistan cricketers have recently accused the BCCI of fiddling with the T20 World Cup dates to suit their own "agenda" and find a slot to host IPL 2020. The cricketers from the neighboring nation had also questioned the postponement of the Asia Cup this year.
