Completing the now-suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 remains a big challenge for the BCCI going ahead, and it will be on the agenda when the governing body holds a Special General Meeting (SGM) virtually on Saturday (May 29).
While reports claim that the second leg of IPL 2021 will be played in UAE in September end-early October window, the BCCI is yet to make anything official.
According to a PTI report, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly will lead Saturday's meeting from Mumbai and the board will lock in a three-week window between September 15 and October 15 for the resumption of the cash-rich event.
"Obviously, the main issue would be the IPL schedule. We are expecting 10 double-headers and seven single headers apart from four play-off games (2 qualifiers, one eliminator) including the final. The resumption game and final will be held on weekends," PTI quoted a senior BCCI official as saying on the eve of the meeting.
The report further suggests that the discussion will also include securing the services of foreign cricketers and other logistical problems such as bubble-to bubble transfer.
On Thursday (May 27), ECB managing director Ashley Giles made it clear that the England players won’t be released for the remaining 31 games of IPL 14.
"Hopefully, the president and secretary would tell us how the situation of English players will be handled," a franchise official, who would be tracking the developments, told PTI.
The likes of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Eoin Morgan and Moeen Ali are the first-choice players of their respective franchises and finding their replacements won't be easy.
Team India’s Test tour of England is due to finish on September 14 at Manchester and on the next day, the entire team (except for Hanuma Vihari and Abhimanyu Easwaran) will reportedly depart for UAE in a chartered flight for a "bubble to bubble" transfer.
(With PTI inputs)
