The second leg of India Premier League (IPL) 2021 will resume tentatively on September 18 or 19 in the United Arab Emirates, PTI reported on Tuesday (May 25).
According to the report, as many as 10 double-headers will be played during a three-week window to complete the remaining tournament, with the final to be held on October 9 or 10.
The 14th edition of IPL was indefinitely postponed on May 4 after multiple COVID-19 cases were reported in the bio-bubbles of various franchises.
The IPL 2021 saw only 29 games being held in four venues and there are still 31 matches left in the competition.
"The BCCI has spoken to all the stakeholders and the likely start could be between September 18th to 20th. Since September 18 is a Saturday and 19 a Sunday, it is more likely that you would want to re-start it on a weekend date," the official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"Similarly, October 9th or 10th will be the final as it's a weekend. We are finalising the itinerary and there will be 10 double headers and seven evening matches along with four main games (two qualifiers, one eliminator and the final), which completes the list of 31 matches," the official added.
Team India’s Test tour of England is due to finish on September 14 at Manchester and on the next day, the entire team (expect for Hanuma Vihari and Abhimanyu Easwaran) will depart for UAE in a chartered flight for a "bubble to bubble" transfer.
"The Indian team and the English players who will be available will fly in the same charter flight from Manchester to Dubai. Similarly, the West Indies players will also fly in after completing the Caribbean Premier League engagements. There will be three-day quarantine for players arriving from UK and the Caribbean," the source said.
Speaking to PTI, a franchise official also confirmed that the communication from BCCI has come on the matter.
"We have been told by the BCCI to be ready for the tournament. We have been given a September 15 to 20 window," a team official said.
With this development, the BCCI has reportedly decided to cancel India's T20I series against South Africa, scheduled in September.
"The series can't be held and in any case there can't be any better preparation for the T20 World Cup than playing a high intensity tournament like IPL. Since the T20 World Cup will start within a week or 10 days after completion of the IPL, the SA series can only be held at a later date.
"There is a chance that India might play extra games when they tour South Africa early next year," the source said.
The staging of IPL’s second phase could also impact India’s home Test series against New Zealand, scheduled in November.
As per the report, the dates of Test series could be shifted depending upon when the T20 World Cup culminates.
(With PTI inputs)
